Afscheid in Auteuil 1869

Felicien Rops created this etching, titled "Afscheid in Auteuil," likely in the late 19th century, capturing a moment laden with social and cultural implications. The image depicts a couple in an intimate farewell, set against the backdrop of what seems to be a Parisian park. But who are these people, and what does their embrace signify in the context of 19th-century France? The male figure in the background could be a cuckold, spying on the couple, or a servant. During the late 1800s, Paris was undergoing rapid industrialization and social change, challenging traditional norms around love, marriage, and class. Rops, known for his satirical and often provocative commentary on bourgeois society, uses the visual codes of fashion and setting to create meaning. The location, Auteuil, was then a well-known upper class location and a place for romantic transgression. Understanding this work requires us to delve into the social history of the time, examining how class, gender, and moral values shaped the production and reception of art. It reminds us that art is not created in a vacuum but is deeply embedded in its own time.