. . . at the hour of danger . . . c. 19th century

Curator: Paul Gavarni created this lithograph entitled ". . . at the hour of danger . . ." I find its melodrama immediately compelling. Editor: Theatrical, isn't it? The central figure is radiating defiance. What's the context of this "danger"? Curator: Considering Gavarni's focus on social satire, it could be a commentary on gender roles and the performance of power in 19th-century society. Perhaps she's enacting a protective ritual. Editor: The woman's stance, the robe, even the wand – they evoke a sense of ritual, but also parody. Is she a sorceress or merely playing one? The figure in the background seems wary. Curator: Exactly! It speaks to the broader performance of identity and the anxieties surrounding female agency during that period. Editor: It's a small print, but it holds a great deal of symbolic tension. I will think about this performance of power a while longer. Curator: Yes, Gavarni really invites us to look beneath the surface of social performances.