Charivari 1628 - 1638

Curator: So, we're looking at "Charivari," an engraving and print made by Abraham Bosse sometime between 1628 and 1638. It feels chaotic, almost like a snapshot of street theatre, and it seems deeply critical. What stands out to you? Editor: That's a great way to describe it. The costuming and exaggerated expressions feel almost satirical. The actions are somewhat absurd, a bit of a "rough music" ceremony if I'm not mistaken. How do you interpret its significance in its time? Curator: That’s exactly what it is. These public rituals, where people would parade with noise-makers outside the home of someone who'd broken social norms - perhaps an abusive spouse or someone who remarried too quickly. Bosse captures how social anxieties were managed, almost policed, through public performance. Where do you think this power resided and what did it mean for women in particular? Editor: I guess the power lay with the community? It seems really problematic now; the community's reinforcing really conservative social structures and gender roles by humiliating individuals who stepped outside those norms. Was Bosse endorsing or critiquing this behaviour? Curator: Ah, that is the crucial question, isn't it? Bosse captures the spectacle without explicitly judging. His work makes us question, as it must have its audience then: who benefits, who suffers, and who exactly is wielding power? Was it empowering the "common" person or an abusive tool in the hand of the patriarchy? Editor: Thinking about it that way makes the image even more unsettling. It’s not just a quaint historical scene. Curator: Exactly. It demonstrates how art can freeze social dynamics, offering us a space to think critically about what power structures are still around in new guises today. Editor: Thanks! I never thought about this "genre painting" containing something quite so controversial.