The Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, 1887 

Albert Edelfelt painted The Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, in 1887. This work captures a slice of bourgeois life in late 19th-century Paris, a moment of leisure and domesticity, but also one subtly shaped by class and gender. The scene is filled with women and children, suggesting the garden as a feminized space. The children, dressed in their finery, are attended by women, likely nannies or mothers. Edelfelt, who himself was a Finnish expatriate, might have been drawn to this subject as a way to observe and reflect on the social customs of his time. This painting presents a world where women’s roles are largely confined to childcare and domestic duties. There's a certain stillness to the composition, a quiet observation of the rituals of upper-middle-class life. How does this painting, with its gentle light and focus on the everyday, speak to the broader social dynamics of its time? It’s a window into a world of privilege, but also a testament to the emotional bonds that tie us together.