Minnend paar voor een boompartij 1744 - 1781

Curator: Before us we have "Minnend paar voor een boompartij," or "Lovers by Trees," an engraving by Jean-Baptiste Leprince dating sometime between 1744 and 1781. It's currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. What strikes you first about it? Editor: There's a curious intimacy despite the scale. It's contained, almost like a secret scene revealed within a looking glass. It seems quite conventional, in terms of love imagery... almost oppressively so? Curator: Let's consider some possible interpretations through symbolic lenses. Notice the protective tree. It’s a fairly constant symbol across different traditions and time. How do you understand the symbology in this piece? Editor: Leprince seems to draw from a very specific and narrow depiction of “love." The pastoral scene, the embracing lovers… what story are they trying to tell? Is it one of exclusion? Where do queer couples or couples of color exist in the imagined worlds of the Romantic period? Curator: Certainly, representation can be exclusionary. Looking beyond the surface, this image plays on several conventions from earlier art historical traditions. The pastoral setting evokes ideas of innocence, purity, a return to nature and maybe escape from social constrictions, even if that’s clearly an idealized vision. Editor: True. There is an overwhelming sentimentality in many of the works of this time, that may be read as disingenuous and, for the popular consumer culture, simply reinforcing expectations about roles. Curator: And it also speaks to its time in terms of printmaking. Images like these would have circulated widely, becoming part of a visual language understood by many. It highlights the values that society embraced. Editor: I still find the constraints frustrating, especially looking back from where we stand now. Curator: But the engraving stands as an echo from the past. Isn't it intriguing that its visual language still sparks such strong feelings? Editor: Indeed. We’ve decoded one layer, hopefully to pave the way for more inclusivity, and expanded dialogue!