Jong paar betrapt door ouders 1683 - 1733

Bernard Picart made this print titled 'Young couple caught by parents', sometime between 1696 and 1733 using etching and engraving. The work gives us a glimpse into the social expectations and anxieties surrounding courtship and sexuality during the 18th century. At first glance, we see a moment of intimate betrayal. The young lovers caught in their private embrace, exposed by the intrusion of parental authority. The expressions of shock and dismay on the parents' faces speak volumes about the rigid social codes governing sexuality and marriage at the time. The artwork is a narrative freeze-frame that encapsulates the tensions between individual desire and societal norms. It invites us to consider the power dynamics at play, where parental control and societal expectations clash with the personal autonomy of the younger generation. How does the representation of women and sexuality reflect or challenge the prevailing attitudes of the time? And to what extent does this image perpetuate or subvert the conventional narratives of love, desire, and transgression?