Boudeuse 

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen created this print of "Boudeuse" as a sheet music cover, likely in the late 19th century. It shows a tense encounter between a fashionable woman and a man. The title "Boudeuse," meaning "sulky woman," and the woman's posture tells of social tensions within relationships, perhaps commenting on the rigid gender roles of the time. The composition, along with the stylish attire of the figures, and the specific details of the musical composition such as the author and the artist, situate the image within the culture of Parisian music halls. These were popular places of entertainment that often reflected and shaped social attitudes. To understand this work better, one could research the history of music publishing, the role of women in Parisian society, and Steinlen's other work such as his illustrations for political journals. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.