Gezelschap in park met fluitspeler 1811 - 1871

Pierre Pelée created this print, titled 'Gezelschap in park met fluitspeler' or 'Company in a park with a flute player,' sometime in the mid-19th century. The scene evokes the leisure and refinement associated with the upper classes of that era. The figures are depicted in what seems to be a staged moment of elegant repose, set against an idealized, pastoral backdrop. The flute player, a central figure, provides a melody to which the others seem to passively listen. Their expressions and postures reveal a narrative of social interaction, hinting at the gendered expectations of the time. The women are gathered to listen, while the men take centre stage as the providers of entertainment. This artwork opens a window onto the social rituals and gender dynamics that shaped the bourgeois experience. It invites us to consider how these representations both reflected and influenced societal norms around leisure, performance, and social roles.