Salon des Arts Ménagers

Francis Bernard designed the poster below for the Salon des Arts Ménagers (Domestic Art Exhibition) in 1933. “Its aim was to further the rationalization of domestic work to promote hygiene, technological progress and efficiency, as more and more middle-class women joined their working-class contemporaries in fulfilling dual role at home and in the workplace outside it” (Christopher Wilk, 2006). The cogwheels and V-belt were used by Bernard to express a sense of powering the movement of the arm for the use of the broom. However, the use of a woman’s silhouette in this occasion suggests feminism and the idea of women being in charge of domestic work in the home. Feminism as we know it was quite a big deal around the 1900s as women weren’t as privileged as they are today to be taken seriously. For example, women that knew what they wanted, who had determination and a voice were classed as feminists simply because they were bold to stand up for their rights and beliefs. “When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch.” (Good Reads, 2013), a quote by Bette Davis which simply outlines the point trying to be put across through this artwork.

Francis Bernard - Poster: Arts ménagers (Domestic Art), 1933