Canicule 1840 - 1900

Editor: So, here we have "Canicule" by Felicien Rops, made sometime between 1840 and 1900. It's a pencil drawing and print currently at the Met. It feels almost dreamlike, a hazy, indistinct nude. What do you make of it? Curator: Well, knowing Rops operated within a late 19th-century context of social upheaval and shifting moral codes is crucial here. Consider the rise of bourgeois society and its anxieties, coupled with burgeoning scientific thought challenging established religious dogma. Editor: How does that connect with the artwork, though? Curator: This seemingly simple nude drawing exists within that charged atmosphere. Rops was known for his satirical and often controversial work, challenging bourgeois morality. Could this be a commentary on societal expectations and hidden desires, revealed through the guise of a classical nude but presented in a decidedly non-idealized way? Notice how the loose pencil strokes create a sense of unease. Editor: So, you're saying it's not just a pretty picture, but a social critique? The "Canicule" or dog days suggesting a feverish delirium perhaps, or repressed desires coming to the surface? Curator: Exactly! Consider the political power structures shaping art production at the time. What kind of messages could be subtly conveyed or satirized? Where would this have been displayed or viewed? Editor: I hadn't considered the "who gets to see this" aspect. It makes the act of drawing and displaying a nude itself a statement, doesn't it? I’m beginning to see it differently now. Curator: It’s fascinating how knowing the socio-political climate completely reframes our understanding, isn't it? This piece moves beyond aesthetics, it becomes a conversation. Editor: Definitely. Seeing it as part of that larger dialogue, instead of just a stand-alone artwork, is really enlightening.