"Damned Springtime" from The Complete Works of Béranger by J. J. Grandville

"Damned Springtime" from The Complete Works of Béranger 1836

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drawing, print, engraving

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portrait

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drawing

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print

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figuration

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romanticism

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sketchbook drawing

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genre-painting

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engraving

Dimensions: Sheet: 8 5/8 × 5 1/2 in. (21.9 × 14 cm)

Copyright: Public Domain

Editor: Here we have J.J. Grandville's engraving "Damned Springtime," created in 1836. It shows a man looking longingly out of a window at a woman on a balcony. It strikes me as quite melancholy, almost claustrophobic. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond the apparent melancholic sentiment, this work speaks volumes about gender and social constraints of the time. Consider the woman on the balcony – seemingly unattainable, placed on a pedestal, quite literally. The man is trapped inside, viewing her from a distance. It evokes the restricted roles assigned to genders, especially regarding courtship and social mobility during the 19th century. Does it spark any thoughts about power dynamics for you? Editor: Definitely! It highlights how restricted their worlds were, and who held the power within those spaces. I'm wondering if "Damned Springtime" might refer to the unfulfilled promises and desires the season brings, heightened by social barriers. Curator: Precisely! Spring, traditionally associated with rebirth and romance, is here twisted. What could be a symbol of hope becomes a painful reminder of what is out of reach. We need to consider class as well. Are they of equal status? Is that the challenge here? Also the word "Damned." Who or what is really damned here? The season? Him? Her? Their expectations? It might represent a broader social critique of unattainable ideals, further reflecting the disillusionment with Romanticism ideals after the French Revolution. Editor: I hadn’t considered class as a factor, but that adds a whole new layer of complexity. This simple scene becomes a powerful statement about social barriers and dashed hopes. Curator: Exactly! Seeing it as an activist engraving allows us to dig a bit deeper into its powerful narrative of frustration and unfulfilled promise. Editor: Thanks for making me see it beyond face value! Now I see the "Damned Springtime" as an engraving loaded with cultural commentary on the social injustices of the era.

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