Florence Claxton’s ‘Woman’s Work, a Medley’
We are excited to welcome Florence Claxton’s remarkable 1861 painting, ‘Woman’s Work, a Medley’ to the gallery.
Join us for a special event at our Night at the Gallery, where we will celebrate this powerful addition to our collection and discuss Claxton’s legacy.
Woman’s Work is a vivid satire on the limited roles available to Victorian middle-class women. With vibrant colours, intricate details and Claxton’s signature wit, the painting reveals women’s struggle for purpose, exploring themes that resonate strongly even today. Through various vignettes, the painting humorously exposes restricted career paths: a clergyman offers a list titled “TRIVIALITY” with options like Sunday school and charity work, while a lawyer redirects a woman back to domestic duties. Central to the piece is a young man on a throne with a golden calf, symbolising male dominance; women around him strive to entertain, confined to roles that dismiss their intellectual potential.
It is a powerful, timely piece, challenging viewers to reflect on the progress and persistent inequalities in women’s roles across society.
Florence Claxton, who painted Woman’s Work at 22, was a noted illustrator for London journals and exhibited widely. Her work may be a response to Ford Madox Brown’s Work (1852–65), which celebrated labor across classes yet reduced middle-class women to distributing religious tracts or focusing on their appearance—roles that hint at the marriage market or even prostitution.
Claxton’s work complements the gallery’s historic collection and underscores our commitment to showcasing female perspectives.