Untitled Valentine (Country Couples) 1860s

Editor: This is *Untitled Valentine (Country Couples)*, made by Berlin and Jones in the 1860s. It's a mixed-media collage combining drawing, print, and watercolor on paper. It feels incredibly ornate, almost excessively so, but also quite charming. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The opulence is key, I think. Consider the historical context: this was a period of rapid industrialization and burgeoning capitalism, and these elaborate valentines reflect a desire for conspicuous display, a visual representation of wealth and affection within a society grappling with shifting social hierarchies. The floral motifs, juxtaposed with the "country couples," are potent symbols of both idealized romantic love and, perhaps, the commodification of personal relationships. How do you think gender and class intersect in its message? Editor: It’s interesting you say that. The abundance of flowers, for example, feels coded as feminine, yet the suggestion of rural life might be playing with class anxieties about who has the "right" kind of love or relationship. Curator: Exactly. And what does it mean to present love, arguably the most intimate of emotions, in such a mass-producible format, with its repeated motifs and reliance on printed elements? Doesn’t this diminish the claim to special affection? I mean, where's the individuality, and where’s the sincerity? What are the political implications when romantic expression becomes such an industry? Editor: I hadn’t thought about the commercial aspect so directly, but it makes perfect sense. I guess even something as seemingly innocuous as a Valentine’s card can be loaded with cultural meaning and power dynamics. Curator: Indeed. It shows how these narratives have shaped—and continue to shape—our understanding of love, labor, and social relations. I hadn’t considered before, though, the degree to which nostalgia for the rural landscape figures into these industrial love tokens. Editor: Definitely a new way to read a Valentine!