Oh! My God! It's my husband . . . c. 19th century

Curator: Let’s consider Paul Gavarni’s lithograph, titled with dramatic flair: “Oh! My God! It's my husband . . .". The Harvard Art Museums hold this particular print. Editor: It’s a bitingly funny observation, isn't it? The composition throws us right into this awkward, almost theatrical scene, a moment of private drama playing out in public. Curator: Indeed. Gavarni, with his sharp eye for social satire, captures the nuances of relationships, and the masks we wear, literally and figuratively. It speaks to the performative nature of societal roles. Editor: Absolutely. And the choice of carnival as the backdrop feels so potent, a time when social norms are suspended. Here, the mask, the costume, reveals a deeper, perhaps uncomfortable truth about marriage. Curator: I find the visual language so evocative. The slumped figure of the husband, versus the hurried gesture of the wife. The man is vulnerable, but she seems to be a little bit frightened. Editor: The etching seems to highlight the fragile balance within a marriage. It is almost like a dream, suspended in time. Curator: Yes, it lingers in the mind, this little snapshot of a marriage at a crossroads. Editor: Well, I see the carnival masks as a symbol of freedom. But one person’s freedom isn’t always everyone’s.