Listen to me well: tomorrow morning he is going to engage you for dinner . . . c. 19th century

Curator: This is Paul Gavarni’s lithograph, "Listen to me well: tomorrow morning he is going to engage you for dinner . . .". Editor: It strikes me as a study in contrasts: the youthfulness of the couple versus the rather stern portrait in the background, and the man’s dark suit against her light dress. Curator: Exactly, Gavarni often critiqued social mores. This image highlights the economic power dynamics in courtship, a woman being advised on how to secure a wealthy suitor. Editor: Yes, the umbrella becomes a symbol of the man's resources. And the woman's gesture of concern seems deliberately theatrical, almost mocking the required performance. Curator: Indeed, Gavarni was commenting on the commodification of women in marriage and satirizing the perceived artifice of their interactions with men. The text below the image provides even further context to these power dynamics. Editor: I find the gaze of the woman in the portrait above them rather knowing, almost as though she’s seen this all before. Perhaps she represents societal expectations, always watching. Curator: It’s a potent image about the intersection of gender, class, and social expectations, rendered with a sharp satirical edge. Editor: A compelling visual story, even with the passage of time.