Two Ladies Taking a Walk 1815 - 1892

Curator: We’re looking at "Two Ladies Taking a Walk" by Constantin Guys. It was created sometime between 1815 and 1892 and it is now part of the collection here at the Met. Editor: It strikes me as melancholic, even ghostly. The washes of ink and watercolor create a hazy atmosphere around the figures, almost like they’re fading into the landscape. The overall tone seems subdued, limited by its monochromatic palette. Curator: Well, Guys was known for depicting the fashionable society of his time. So this drawing provides a glimpse into the lives of women and their social interactions during the 19th century in France. What might appear ghostly to our eyes was a commentary on how these women presented themselves in public, carefully cultivated. Editor: I see your point, it certainly reflects a social performance, yet technically, look how Guys uses rapid, expressive strokes. The bodies are mere suggestions—shape, mass, the fall of fabric rendered with economy. Is it trying to evoke movement? The dynamism implied in a "walk"? Curator: That might be it exactly! He worked as a war correspondent as well; perhaps that sharpened his skills at rapidly capturing fleeting moments in sketches, transposing his aptitude of immediacy into depicting these fleeting bourgeois impressions. These pieces weren't celebrated in formal exhibits back then! It gives insight into how informal they actually are as artworks for that time. Editor: An interesting perspective. Though Guys gives them presence through scale - there’s not much depth, as if he’s flattened the foreground and background into one plane which directs your focus onto their size. The color blocking also adds an unexpected accent. It has moments of bold abstraction amid its tonal modesty! Curator: These drawings offer snapshots into the political backdrop in France after the French revolution, when aristocratic families were being uprooted, or had to reinvent their role in French society. Editor: The nuances in the textures and form leave a lasting visual memory. The application, the colors, the gesture! It offers just enough for you to create your own sense. Curator: Absolutely, I think it's fascinating how it portrays that transformational period in France in such an intimate, and somewhat subversive, manner.