Verklede man doet voorstel aan verklede vrouw 1843

Paul Gavarni created this lithograph titled "Verklede man doet voorstel aan verklede vrouw" or "Man in disguise proposes to woman in disguise" during his time as a chronicler of Parisian life. The print captures a scene from "Le Carnaval à Paris," a period marked by masked balls and public masquerades, which served as a stage for social commentary and satire. In the print, we see two figures in costume, their identities obscured, engaging in a ritual of courtship that is both performative and potentially subversive. The act of dressing up allowed Parisians to play with gender and class roles, thus blurring social boundaries. Gavarni deftly uses the carnival setting to explore themes of identity, desire, and social performance. How might the anonymity afforded by the carnival mask allow for expressions of selfhood that were otherwise repressed? What does it mean to stage a proposal within the context of such a fluid and theatrical environment? Gavarni invites us to ponder these questions, reflecting the complex interplay between societal expectations and personal freedoms.