Valentine 1850

Curator: This is a fascinating mixed-media piece, "Valentine," created around 1850. The anonymous artist combined drawing, printmaking, and various other techniques on paper. Editor: My initial reaction is one of ornate sweetness. It has the feel of something treasured and handmade. There is Cupid, flowers, fruit, lacework. The symbolic load feels heavy. Curator: Precisely! Look at the combination of printed lace and hand-worked elements. What does this commingling of industrial production and intimate craft tell us? What does that tension suggest about love itself? Editor: Well, lace has always been a symbol of wealth and refinement, and, because it is fragile, an apt metaphor for delicate emotions. The artist’s use of a Cupid figure points directly toward romance, calling to mind ancient gods and, also, childhood innocence. And the basket of colorful fruits and blossoms suggests abundance. Curator: I am particularly drawn to the construction of that basket itself. Note the raised gilding mimicking wicker. This adds dimensionality. There is something about its tangible quality that insists on the value of the material labor involved in making art – or, in this case, making an object expressing affection. How many hands were involved? Editor: A fair question. And yet, while the materiality impresses, to me the symbol is foremost: The fruit may also hold a subtle reference to the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. What a powerful statement on romantic entanglements that reference suggests! Curator: I hadn’t considered that! Although one can easily overlook such symbolism while fixating on process… Editor: But isn't that what makes interpreting these works exciting? We bring ourselves to bear upon the art, as the artist clearly did so long ago. Curator: A delightful sentiment to end our exploration on, revealing a harmony amid potential contrasts. Editor: Indeed. Let us allow listeners to embrace this artwork and forge their interpretations as well.