Les femmes. Galerie fashionable, ca. 1830: Comme il m'aime!!! (...) c. 1830

Editor: Here we have "Les femmes. Galerie fashionable, ca. 1830: Comme il m'aime!!! (...)" created around 1830 by Joseph Lemercier, employing watercolor and mixed media. It’s a rather intimate scene of two women, rendered with a touch of caricature. There's something theatrical about it. What stands out to you? Curator: The “theatricality” you point out is key. This piece gives us insight into the constructed performance of femininity within early 19th-century French society. These 'fashionable women' are consciously embodying a role. Look at the exaggerated costumes, the setting… even the title drips with a certain irony about the performance of love. Consider the social role of women at this time; their value was heavily tied to marriage and attracting male attention. Do you see any evidence of how the artist makes commentary about this? Editor: Well, there’s that slightly satirical rendering of the women. They aren’t idealized beauties; their features are exaggerated. The woman on the left especially seems a little too preoccupied with appearance... and her pose, with the finger to her mouth as if keeping a secret, does make me wonder about her genuine sentiments. Curator: Exactly. And look at the setting! A bourgeois interior carefully constructed to impress. The wallpaper, the vase of flowers - all symbols of wealth and status designed to project a certain image. These were commercially available lithographs designed to circulate ideas – and often to gently mock them, reaching a wide audience and sparking conversations around class and gender. Is there anything you find surprising or unexpected about this artwork now, understanding it in its historical context? Editor: I suppose I initially viewed it as simply a portrait of two women, but now I see a subtle commentary on societal expectations and the pressures women faced. It’s a sharp reminder that what appears on the surface isn't always the full picture. Curator: Precisely. It makes one reflect on what's changed, and what hasn't, in our contemporary image culture.