Jaloux désabusé c. 1753 - 1813

Curator: Here we have "Jaloux désabusé", or "Disillusioned Jealousy", an engraving from around 1753 to 1813 by Charles Boily. Editor: The initial impact is theatrical, wouldn’t you agree? Almost operatic with that thwarted suitor standing off to the right, sword at the ready, as his beloved embraces another. Curator: It absolutely embodies a moment of high drama characteristic of genre painting from this period. Note the figures positioned almost as if on a stage, drawing attention to their expressions and relationships. It speaks to the visual culture of its time. Editor: And how it perpetuates stereotypes! We have this hyper-masculine display of rage countered by the supposedly helpless woman, caught between two men, devoid of any agency. It's quite problematic through a contemporary lens, reflecting the unequal power dynamics inherent within 18th-century courtship. Curator: While I agree about the outdated tropes, consider that these scenes functioned within a larger social framework. Representations like these offered a way for the elite to explore, negotiate, and even critique social behaviors—albeit often reinforcing prevailing norms. Prints such as this were meant for display, allowing discussion about what it meant to be a good husband or a dutiful wife. Editor: Fair enough. Yet I still see the visual narrative playing a part in normalizing those power structures, presenting the "jealous" man's violent reaction as almost justifiable—a dangerous mindset we still see playing out today, sadly. Curator: I appreciate your reading of this engraving. I hadn’t considered its relationship to more contemporary dialogues concerning masculine rage, and how those continue to reverberate today. Editor: Likewise, your contextualization in its own time certainly clarifies the complexities that this little scene contains. It is still amazing how potent those apparently outdated societal stereotypes can prove.