Enlightened Women at Work. The Case of Marie-Anne Paulze-Lavoisier (1770-1790 circa)

Scholars of the Enlightenment have shown that the concept of labour was deeply influenced by eighteenth-century representations of gender difference. The labour of the mind, for instance, was mostly seen as a manly activity, especially within French polite society. Women of the upper class were allowed to engage in cognitive practices such as conversations, writing, reading or drawing; while doing so, however, they had to conform to a complex set of social and cultural conventions. This chapter explores the topic from a different angle, by dealing with the case of Marie-Anne Paulze-Lavoisier (1758-1836), a woman of the French haute bourgeoisie known as the wife and scientific associate of the chemist and tax farmer Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794). It focuses, in particular, on her work in her husband’s laboratory. This was a particular kind of work, requiring not only intellectual effort but also some practical expertise. How this work was represented by the Lavoisiers? And to what extent Paulze-Lavoisier, by showing herself as a ‘woman at work’, challenged gender norms of the time? By seeking answers to these questions, the chapter will also highlight some of the tensions surrounding the notions of ‘work’ and ‘leisure’ in Enlightenment scientific cultures.