Our Lady of Mercy/Cover of sheet music c. 19th century

Curator: This is a cover for sheet music, "Our Lady of Mercy," by Marie-Alexandre Alophe, though it isn't dated. The delicate etching depicts a woman kneeling before a shrine. Editor: It's immediately striking, that contrast! The vulnerability of that supplicant set against what appears to be a classical, almost Roman, architectural form. Curator: Indeed. Alophe, born in 1811, often engaged with printmaking, a vital part of the burgeoning music industry and the wider rise of mass-produced imagery. Editor: The choice of subject—Marian devotion—speaks volumes about the societal expectations and available avenues of power for women in that era, right? Piety as a form of agency. Curator: Precisely. The sheet music itself becomes a commodity, extending both spiritual and artistic influence, quite cunningly packaged. Editor: It makes you wonder about the women who purchased and performed this music, and whether this image was a reflection or a subtle aspiration.