Valentine 1875 - 1880

This "Valentine" card, by an anonymous artist, presents a fascinating interplay between the delicate and the assertive. A central figure in period costume, complete with feathered hat, stands poised amidst a swirl of ribbons inscribed with martial language: “May I Be Victorious In Love, Conquered In War.” The juxtaposition of the traditionally feminine pink with the aggressive thematics of conquest creates a visual tension that destabilizes conventional gender roles. The artist uses the softness of the lace border to frame a declaration of war, reframing the language of love in the semiotic system of conflict. The card challenges fixed meanings, using structural and visual techniques to destabilize established categories of romance, gender, and power. This card uses the aesthetic of beauty to challenge fixed meanings or engage with new ways of thinking about love.