I Think I’m Starting to get Pretty Good at this Marriage Game 

Gil Elvgren sketched this poised woman, aptly titled "I Think I’m Starting to Get Pretty Good at this Marriage Game." Here we see a turban and an elegant shawl, symbols of a composed, domestic femininity. These emblems have long served to signify the roles women play within the household. Yet, observe the knowing glance in her eye, the subtle smirk playing on her lips, suggesting a quiet acknowledgment of the game she is playing. This act of balancing roles, this intricate dance between expectation and reality, is not unique to Elvgren's mid-century muse; think of Botticelli's Venus, seemingly demure, yet a symbol of potent female power. It speaks to the complex, often subconscious negotiations women undertake across time. It reflects the evolving, cyclical nature of cultural expectations and how they are both met and challenged.