Een jonge man vlucht voor Bacchus, Venus en Amor 1720

Editor: Here we have "A Young Man Fleeing from Bacchus, Venus, and Cupid," a 1720 engraving by Louis Fabritius Dubourg. There's so much tension in the scene – you can really feel the young man’s panic as he tries to escape. What social commentary do you think Dubourg might be trying to make with this scene? Curator: I see this print as a commentary on the choices facing young men in the 18th century. It’s situated in a time of increasing social mobility, where the older aristocratic structure and the hedonistic lifestyles it represented – Bacchus and Venus – are being questioned. Consider who these figures are. They represent indulgence, pleasure, and arguably, societal expectations for men of that class. And Cupid? He represents not just love but the social pressures of marriage and legacy. Editor: So the young man's flight is a rejection of that established order? Curator: Exactly. Think of the Baroque style, known for its drama and ornamentation. Dubourg uses these conventions to depict the perceived threat. The exaggerated poses, the dynamic composition… it all speaks to the allure, and the potential dangers, of succumbing to these social forces. What does it mean for a young man to forge his own path outside of these established, yet potentially destructive, societal norms? Do you see elements of class struggle represented here? Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn't thought about the societal expectations element of it before. I was mainly focusing on the drama. It makes me consider the pressure that men might feel. Curator: And how those pressures continue to evolve, even today, doesn’t it? It seems Dubourg is more than just telling a mythological tale, he is highlighting the tensions of living a life true to one's self versus falling prey to outside expectation.