Journal des Demoiselles, septembre 1868, 36e année, No. 9 1868

Editor: This is an engraving from 1868, a page from "Journal des Demoiselles" by Paul Lacourière. It's done on paper and the colours are delicate. I notice the detailed dresses right away. There's something so elegant and a little…stiff about it all. What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Oh, stiffness, you say? It whispers of corsets and societal constraints, doesn't it? To me, this image is a portal. It's not just fashion, but a tableau of expectations. That girl with the badminton racket seems trapped, almost waiting. I wonder what the text is in the hands of the sitting woman? Do you feel it might signal the future of the child in the picture? Editor: Hmmm, that's a new way to look at it! The "future of the child" - I love how you connected that, especially with how prominently that woman with the text is presented! I hadn’t considered what the woman with the child and the woman with the badminton racket meant individually either; they sort of melt together into a "fashion plate". How does knowing it was made as a print change our understanding? Curator: Ah, context is delicious, isn’t it? As a print, it’s meant for circulation. These images instructed women how to present themselves and their children – literally designing their roles in society. Think of the dreams and the limitations sewn into those seams! Almost oppressive, if you let your imagination gallop! Editor: That makes so much sense. It is a bit sad, now that you point it out. They’re sort of enacting an idea for the viewers, more than being themselves. I really didn't consider that. Thanks for making me think twice about it. Curator: That is art in the best, opening doors. Don't you agree? Now, I wonder about the little butterfly just above their heads.