Coming of Age in the Era of Enlightenment: Envisioning Girlhood and Feminine Virtue, c. 1750 – 1815 During the 18th-19th century, childrearing and early education acquired new social and cultural significance in France. Both childhood and adolescence were recognized as separate “life stages” during which significant physical and moral development occurred. Due to France’s patriarchal system, however, girls experienced vastly different developmental expectations and standards of behavior, shaped by gender-based notions of virtue. The growing recognition of childhood’s value led to its increased portrayal in art, evident in the rising number of youthful subjects across genres. This dissertation examines the cultural and social meaning(s) of girlhood in France (c. 1750 – 1815) by analyzing its visual representations and exploring how women artists, in particular, challenged and reshaped the narratives and artistic paradigms that defined girlhood and female virtue.