Don't love me anymore?! ... Why Pamela, that would be a luxury that your methods do not permit you., p. 97 1852

Editor: This is Paul Gavarni's lithograph, "Don't love me anymore?! ... Why Pamela, that would be a luxury that your methods do not permit you.," made sometime in the mid-19th century. The scene feels intimate but also a bit…uneasy. What's your take on it? Curator: Gavarni's work often satirized Parisian society. Given the title, we can assume this depicts a kept woman and her patron. It reflects the economic realities and power dynamics of the time. How does Gavarni use caricature to comment on these relationships? Editor: The man is definitely exaggerated, almost grotesque. It's interesting how the title frames her “love” as a transaction, not a feeling. Curator: Precisely! The print becomes a commentary on the commodification of affection, revealing the social structures that enable such exchanges. What do you think this image says about the role of women in 19th-century Paris? Editor: I guess it shows their limited options and dependence on men for survival. I hadn't thought about it that way. Thanks!