De drie lievelingen 1876 - 1893

Editor: This is "De drie lievelingen," or "The Three Darlings," a lithograph from sometime between 1876 and 1893 by G. Lhuer. It reminds me of a Victorian comic strip, showing the life and eventual demise of an elderly woman’s pets. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What strikes me is the pointed, almost cynical narrative about sentimentality and social isolation. Lhuer's work critiques the societal tendency to elevate pets, particularly within the domestic sphere of unmarried, older women, to the level of human companions. Editor: Cynical, really? Curator: Consider the narrative presented: a woman whose affection for her animals borders on the obsessive, mirrored in the images of her darlings elevated to portraits on the wall, and finally, the three little graves that visually underscore the over-investment in these animals as a sad substitute for human connection. What does that say about women and aging during the time? Editor: It sounds like the piece is highlighting how restrictive gender roles and expectations might lead to social isolation. Is the artist sympathetic, or mocking? Curator: Lhuer’s work can be seen as participating in a broader cultural discourse of the time, questioning the roles assigned to women and their emotional lives, while critiquing their societal circumstances. Are we really honoring women through this kind of infantilization? Or, do we question the narratives assigned to aging women who, perhaps, intentionally resist traditional relationships and embrace companionship in non-traditional forms? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way, viewing this through a social lens really transforms my perspective. Thanks for that! Curator: And thank you for noticing that there is always another way of seeing and feeling, and other people through that looking.