Entre les Deux Mon Coeur Balance 1877

James Tissot, a French artist who spent much of his career in Britain, created this etching titled “Entre les Deux Mon Coeur Balance.” The print depicts a soldier in Scottish Highland uniform seated in a boat, flanked by two women. Etchings like this one gained popularity in Victorian England. The rise of industrial capitalism and the expansion of the British Empire created new class dynamics and social expectations. Tissot often depicted scenes of modern life. The title, "Between Two, My Heart is Wavering," suggests a narrative of romantic tension, a theme common in Tissot's work, yet we are also witness to the restrained emotion of the scene. The artist captures a sense of fleeting moments, of unspoken desires, and the ambiguous nature of human relationships. There’s an engagement with contemporary social mores, which also gives insight into gender roles, class, and the intricacies of personal relationships. The setting, combined with the careful detail in each figure, speaks to the complex negotiations of identity and desire in 19th-century society.