In a study that stretches over two centuries, Helgerson looks beneath European drama and painting to reveal an unexpected prehistory of modern domesticity. He presents a compelling study of political and aesthetic transformation, firmly based in the everyday.

Shakespeare, Vermeer, Lope de Vega, Moliere, and Diderot don't usually keep company with one another. But in this book, Richard Helgerson shows that each contributed to a common project of great significance: the artistic promotion of the middle-class home. In a study that stretches over two centuries, Helgerson looks beneath European drama and painting to reveal an unexpected prehistory of modern domesticity.