Wounded Love 19th century

Curator: This beautiful metal relief, dating to the 19th century, is entitled "Wounded Love" by Louis-Oscar Roty. You can find it here at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: The first thing that hits me is the tenderness; it's almost painful in its intimacy. The figures are so close, like two halves of the same soul, yet that title... "Wounded Love." Curator: Roty was a master of the medal, and this piece exemplifies his skill in capturing nuanced emotion. He used metal as a medium to express ideas of neoclassical form and romance. The neoclassical art movement often embraced metal to produce durable works referencing an idealized past. Editor: Right. The wreath of flora surrounding the figures almost suggests an Eden, now fractured. There's a story here that isn't immediately clear, but it’s powerful. The poses, particularly, feel both classic and so subtly troubled. Curator: It's intriguing how the decorative element is almost at odds with the subject. The floral wreath and overall medal form speak to its value as a craft object of utility. Editor: Almost as if Roty challenges traditional notions of sculpture. Like a quiet protest embedded in such formal elegance, something domestic trying to escape those neoclassical trappings. It’s really clever. I wonder, what kind of circulation did this metal relief have at the time? Curator: Medals were often made as keepsakes or to commemorate an event, raising fascinating questions about art’s purpose within different economic and social strata. The mass production of medals made fine art accessible to a broader audience. Editor: Interesting! It kind of flips the traditional view of high art on its head, doesn't it? What begins as a personal statement on wounded love enters the social realm through replication. In the end, looking at it now, it really makes me consider what wounds have healed with me over the years. Curator: Absolutely. "Wounded Love," even in its replicable form, remains a potent artifact about how humans perceive themselves and navigate societal values around intimacy and memory.