Valentine 1847 - 1870

Curator: Standing before us is "Valentine," an intriguing piece attributed to an anonymous creator, crafted sometime between 1847 and 1870. It's a print, perhaps also a drawing, residing here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: Wow, it's like a paper dream. So delicate, almost ghostly. The whole thing is a textured white, creating this intricate layered effect—kind of ornate and innocent at the same time. Curator: Indeed. The whiteness itself, particularly in the Victorian era, speaks to notions of purity and idealized love, things heavily romanticized in the 19th century through marriage and family. Consider the lace-like details. They mirror the kinds of crafts often associated with women, with the private lives of bourgeois women. Editor: I get it! It's visually busy but strangely muted. Like a memory you can almost touch. I keep noticing little vignettes – a figure with what looks like an open book, then there’s this birdcage. It feels like a whispered story rather than a bold statement. What about that birdcage element? Curator: The birdcage presents such layered, powerful symbolism. While, superficially, one might understand the cage as symbolizing entrapment or the restrictions of a relationship, particularly for women within the confines of domesticity and marriage during the Victorian period, one could also read this as a devotional, a symbolic yearning. Birds can be free, flight suggests divinity. Editor: Interesting! The romance then isn't always about freedom—it could be about wanting to be seen and celebrated even within confines. The person reading looks to me, perhaps counterintuitively, at peace. It almost forces you to slow down. Curator: Precisely! Consider, too, the rise of industrialization during this time. These handmade, delicate works could be a subtle act of resistance against the mass-produced, hinting at a yearning for the personal and authentic amidst a changing social landscape. It reflects the need for space where sentimental exchange is important. Editor: Right. I am getting this whole coded message vibe now! It speaks softly, but definitely seems to be speaking its mind. It makes me want to write a letter—an analogue message expressing intimate, sentimental longings. Curator: Yes, it invites a reconsideration of what Valentine’s Day means or can mean. Looking closer at “Valentine” offers a glimpse into the complex and nuanced emotions swirling beneath the surface of the Victorian era’s decorous façade. Editor: Absolutely. And for me, I’m also leaving with this image—one that invites me to embrace the slow, delicate power of whispers.