Aggravating Flippancy 1894

Curator: This is "Aggravating Flippancy," an ink drawing created by George Du Maurier in 1894. It resides here at the Art Institute of Chicago. The immediate feeling it gives is one of social observation—a rather stilted, perhaps slightly uncomfortable scene. Editor: Stilted is an excellent descriptor. Observe how the composition is carefully arranged. The figures are almost symmetrically placed within the picture plane, creating a sense of formality and contained energy. Du Maurier's lines, sharp and deliberate, delineate each character's posture and the intricate detailing of their clothing. It evokes a clear class division of Victorian England! Curator: Indeed! Du Maurier, famed for his social satire in *Punch* magazine, presents us with what seems a snapshot of upper-middle-class society. Note the fashionably dressed figures in formal evening wear, likely at a social gathering. One woman gestures towards the window as the others watch on, what sort of story does the artist wish to convey about women's fashion or position? Editor: The visual storytelling relies on symbolism and suggestive gestures. Look at the woman’s gaze, angled with a haughty air and fixed at someone beyond our sight. There is also her lavish trailing dress versus the restrained gestures of the men: the lines themselves seem to dictate a quiet commentary. The tension seems ready to explode through that linear constraint, if it weren’t so firmly tied in this medium. Curator: Beyond merely capturing a likeness, Du Maurier uses visual language to critique social affectations. The stiff posture of the men, the elaborate dress of the women…it points to a highly ritualized and perhaps somewhat superficial culture. I note that this was part of a period of great upheaval in the status of the gentry of England; consider those elements in contrast to his rendering. Editor: A masterful deployment of line work; one observes both the grand social performance as well as the subtle friction just beneath its surface, perfectly crystallized here in the Art Institute collection. Curator: It’s interesting to examine such small works of art within such grand collections, which begs questions regarding Du Maurier’s legacy within a canon so dependent on the art market as it blossomed around the world.