Liefdesverklaring

This is David van der Kellen's "Liefdesverklaring," an engraving made sometime in the 19th century. This declaration of love freezes a very particular moment in time. During this era, courtship rituals were heavily influenced by social status and gender roles, and what was considered acceptable. A man's declaration of love held considerable power, often dictating the course of a woman's life. But what does it mean to declare love when that declaration might also mean a cage of a different kind? The birdcage, Cupid, and the musical instrument all speak to established tropes around love, but it is the woman's expression, a kind of cool, almost knowing detachment, that I find so compelling. Is she really free to choose in this declaration? What does love mean when it is so entwined with societal expectations and constraints? Look at her face and ask yourself that question.