Danse de fiançailles detail 1885

Luc-Olivier Merson created this stained-glass image of a betrothal dance sometime between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in France. It evokes a romantic vision of the medieval past that was very fashionable at the time. The artist, as you might know, had strong ties to the French academy. He won the Prix de Rome and later became a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts. So, while the image may seem conventional at first glance, it also offers a subtle commentary on the social rituals surrounding marriage and courtship. The scene is full of artifice with the stylised figures and carefully arranged composition. The use of stained glass itself speaks to the institutional framework of art production and reception during this period. To fully understand this artwork, one would need to delve into the history of French art institutions. The archives of the École des Beaux-Arts and the writings of contemporary art critics could reveal much about the social and cultural context in which it was created. This would shed light on the dialogue between tradition and modernity in French art.