Verliefd stel en boze moeder 1835 - 1838

Editor: This print, "Verliefd stel en boze moeder," or "Loving couple and angry mother," made by Michel Mourot sometime between 1835 and 1838, depicts what seems to be a dramatic encounter in a forest. It has such a theatrical and confrontational mood! What story do you think this image is trying to tell? Curator: The drama is palpable, isn’t it? I think to fully grasp the image we have to think about 19th-century social structures. What happens when individual desires clash with social expectations? In this image, love transcends class barriers as this bourgeois mother attempts to stop the wedding of her son and the maiden that will soon be his bride. See her hand raised as if frozen mid-sentence? Editor: Yes, I noticed her theatrical stance. She must represent a force of opposition, societal norms maybe? Curator: Exactly! It’s quite romantic actually, isn’t it? The landscape and forbidden love can serve as an allegory for personal liberties that contrast against traditional social norms, particularly for women during this time. We need to think about the politics of marriage, inheritance, and female autonomy back then, or rather the LACK of autonomy. The male lover on the other hand has a stern but comforting stance next to his future wife. He knows what awaits her, and has vowed to support her through all hardship. Now tell me, how do you think an audience at that time would react to the artwork? Editor: Considering the patriarchal societal context, I imagine viewers would be torn, perhaps intrigued but also judgmental of such a defiant break from tradition. I've learned to view such historical works through a contemporary lens, understanding the power dynamics at play. Curator: And that intersectional viewpoint helps to dismantle these structures within the image. What do you take away from it all? Editor: Viewing this artwork makes you question those unwritten social rules that confine or create expectations around our behaviors or decision-making. Thank you!