Reverie c. 19th century

Editor: Here we have Charles Jean Louis Courtry's "Reverie", from the Harvard Art Museums, with no recorded date. The soft lighting gives the piece a melancholic feel. What stands out to you in terms of its historical context? Curator: I notice the fashionable attire and serene park setting. The print suggests an idealized vision of bourgeois leisure, reflecting the social stratification of the late 19th century. How might contemporary viewers have perceived such imagery? Editor: Perhaps as aspirational, or maybe critical of its exclusivity? I hadn't considered that. Thanks! Curator: Precisely. By looking at the art, we can discuss the values of the society that the artwork represents.