The Letter 1878

James Tissot painted 'The Letter' in oil on canvas, a depiction of bourgeois life and manners. This work invites us to consider the social rituals around courtship and communication in late 19th-century France. The woman occupies the foreground, clutching a letter, while a man is visible in the background; the setting itself, a carefully manicured garden, speaks to a culture of display and status. These are visual codes, which, when understood within their cultural context, reveal the complex rules governing social interactions. Tissot made a career representing such social dynamics, crafting images for consumption by the very class he depicted. To fully understand this painting, we need to delve into the social history of the period, examining etiquette manuals, fashion plates, and even literature. Through this research, we come to appreciate how art reflects and shapes the social conditions of its time. In doing so, we better understand the contingent meanings of art.