Ung mand, der leder sin elskede over en grøft (Le Fossé de Scrupule) 1770

Louise Gaillard created this engraving called 'Young Man Carrying His Beloved Across a Ditch of Scruple', sometime in the late 1700s. It depicts an elegantly dressed couple negotiating a small stream. What might this scene tell us about the social mores of 18th-century France? The woman's averted eyes and delicate pose suggest a society where female modesty was highly valued, at least outwardly. The ditch itself, tellingly labeled ‘Scruple,’ suggests a playful commentary on the moral anxieties surrounding courtship. Is this ‘scruple’ a genuine concern or a performance? To understand this work, we might turn to conduct manuals and popular literature of the time, resources that would reveal the complex codes of behavior governing relations between men and women. The title itself hints at a satirical intent, perhaps questioning the very institutions that enforced such rigid social boundaries. We could also investigate how the art academies of the time encouraged some styles and subjects, while discouraging others.