Lit .. tle flower ... of the fields / Always ... always ... hidden, p. 23 1853

Curator: Here we have Paul Gavarni’s lithograph, "Lit .. tle flower ... of the fields / Always ... always ... hidden, p. 23." Editor: It strikes me as a portrait of profound concentration—almost as if the music itself is shaping the man. Curator: Precisely. Gavarni’s use of hatching and cross-hatching gives the piece a dynamism, a certain nervous energy that mirrors the act of creation. Editor: I'm drawn to the symbolism of hiddenness, considering the title. Is the flower a metaphor for a hidden talent or emotion, brought to life by the music? Curator: That’s an astute reading. The figures in the background, rendered more faintly, could represent the world from which the "flower" is hidden, or perhaps an audience, brought closer by the piano music. Editor: Gavarni captured a moment of intense interiority, made visible through the outward act of playing. Curator: Indeed, a masterclass in visual economy. Editor: It gives us so much to unpack in such a small space.