Oude vrouw bekijkt jonge vrouw op straat 1853

This print by Paul Gavarni captures a street scene, likely from 19th-century Paris, where an older woman eyes a younger one. The contrast between the two figures evokes complex notions of aging, beauty, and social class. The gaze of the old woman—a motif repeated throughout art history—becomes a vessel for societal anxieties and personal reflections on mortality. One is reminded of the Vanitas paintings of the Dutch Golden Age, where the image of an old woman often appeared with symbols of vanity and decay, serving as a moral lesson. Similarly, the “evil eye” present in many cultures reflects a fear of envy, a gaze that carries a subconscious power to inflict harm. Here, this exchange of glances represents a silent narrative of cultural memory and the subconscious fears around beauty and its transience. The artist taps into a collective understanding of these fears, engaging us on a deeply psychological level.