King René‘s Honeymoon

Editor: This is Ford Madox Brown’s sketch, "King René's Honeymoon." It's a delicate drawing; I’m curious about the figures and all the objects around them. What story do you think Brown is trying to tell here? Curator: Brown often used historical subjects to comment on Victorian society. Notice the tools scattered at their feet. He seems to be suggesting that even royalty has a role in the construction and maintenance of power, perhaps through patronage of the arts. Does that change how you perceive the image? Editor: It does! I hadn’t thought about it that way. Seeing the king and queen in relation to their kingdom is fascinating. Curator: Exactly. It reminds us that art is always embedded in a network of social relations.