Ontwerp voor een menukaart van een advocatendiner 1889

Louise Danse designed this menu for a lawyer’s dinner as an etching, likely towards the end of the 19th century. Its playful design blends the expected formality of the legal profession with the lightness of celebration, the menu itself illuminated by festive Japanese lanterns. The gathering of bewigged lawyers, set against the soft background, hints at the social hierarchies of the time, where professional guilds played a significant role in shaping social life. The image acts as a cultural artifact, reflecting the intersection of professional identity, social ritual, and artistic expression in a particular historical moment. To fully appreciate the significance, one might delve into the archives of legal societies, or explore collections of social ephemera from the period. Approaching art history in this way highlights the way artistic meaning is not just about aesthetics, but how it reflects the dynamics of its time.