Valentine 1870 - 1885

This is a Valentine card designed by Kate Greenaway, a popular artist and illustrator, printed in the late 19th century. The image depicts a boy and girl in contemporary dress standing on a daffodil, holding hands. Greenaway's images were conservative, evoking an ideal of childhood and a nostalgia for a pre-industrial rural past, yet she took advantage of the opportunities afforded by the industrial revolution's innovations in mass production. The chromolithographic process allowed for the relatively inexpensive printing of colorful images, opening up the commercial market for cards and children's books. The valentine was a popular token of affection in Victorian England, and its mass production democratized access to art and gift-giving. To understand the significance of the image, we might look at the printing history of Victorian England, as well as primary documents like diaries, letters, and advertisements. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.