La Danse des Fiançailles 1885

Editor: Here we have Luc-Olivier Merson’s "La Danse des Fiançailles," or "The Engagement Dance," from 1885. It’s a beautiful stained glass piece currently held at the Met. It immediately strikes me with a sense of medieval pageantry. The clothing, the musicians, even the architecture depicted evoke a distant past. How do you interpret this work, especially considering the social context of its creation? Curator: That medieval past is key, isn’t it? Merson created this piece at a time of immense social and political upheaval. France had endured revolutions, empires, and was grappling with the emergence of a modern, industrial society. Looking back to a romanticized medieval period allowed artists like Merson to comment, often implicitly, on their present. Editor: So, it's a kind of escapism, but also a commentary? Curator: Exactly. Consider the theme of "engagement". On the surface, it's a joyful celebration. But looking through a critical lens, we might ask: Who has access to this celebratory ritual? Who is included, and who is excluded from this idyllic scene? Remember, the late 19th century saw stark class divisions and rigid social hierarchies. Merson, perhaps unconsciously, echoes those divisions even in his nostalgic portrayal of the past. The way the light filters through, too, creates this sense of looking *into* another world, doesn't it? What does that evoke for you? Editor: It's like viewing a scene we can’t participate in directly, further emphasizing a social distance. Like looking back through history. Curator: Precisely! And the fact that it's rendered in glass is not incidental either. It becomes both a window and a barrier, right? Editor: That’s fascinating. I came in thinking of it as just pretty medievalism, but it’s actually much more complex. Curator: Indeed. By considering its historical moment and applying critical questions about power and access, we can excavate deeper meanings and challenge the nostalgia that may initially appeal to us.