Valentine 1877

Curator: Here we have Kate Greenaway's "Valentine," created in 1877. It employs watercolor, printing, and drawing techniques to craft this whimsical scene. What's your first impression? Editor: It's saccharine, undeniably. The pastel hues and the sentimental expressions create a mood of pure, perhaps overly idealized, innocence. Curator: Indeed, and Greenaway was a master of that. This piece was likely mass-produced as a print; "Valentine" would have been part of a larger network of printed materials, circulated in a burgeoning market for children's ephemera. Editor: The production methods are fascinating here, pointing towards accessible art in mass production. Still, formally, there's a somewhat stilted composition. The figures feel rather flat and lacking in depth. What are we to make of the girls searching for a beanstalk as detailed in the artwork text? Curator: The “beanstalk” text likely comes from one of Greenaway’s books. Her illustrations often promote values deemed suitable for children in that era - obedience, kindness, etc. Editor: You're drawing attention to her book market and circulation context. Looking at the artwork with new eyes, I would concede the sweetness isn’t arbitrary. Greenaway skillfully deploys accessible art media to project an ideology onto its young audience. Her artistic skill and output contributed significantly to shape gendered social behavior for children during that historical moment. Curator: And yet there's something enduring in the artwork. Editor: Absolutely. Thanks to the print medium the work enjoyed broad viewership and therefore, we continue to reflect on its aesthetic and impact today.