Pressing Invitations 1839 - 1845

Editor: This is "Pressing Invitations," a lithograph and pencil drawing dating from 1839 to 1845, by Mssrs. Fores, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The grayscale of it, with its crowding and figures holding up labels with names of different countries on them...it has a frenetic energy to it. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Formally, observe how the artist uses line and layering to create a sense of depth and anxiety. The figures cluster around the central, lightly drawn female figure. Notice the directionality created by the reaching arms. Consider how this active space contrasts with the empty expanse of the ground plane on which the subjects stand. How might the distribution of tone contribute to the overall composition? Editor: The use of light and shadow definitely directs your eyes to the central female figure. And it's interesting how the details become blurrier as you look at the background, making that central figure stand out even more. Curator: Indeed. It pushes forward the implicit tension. Is she a single figure or representative of some larger entity? Look again at the inscribed text at the top of the lithograph. Does that text offer clues regarding the subjects relationship and position within the composition? Editor: "Royal Ramblings"... "I intend to pay you all a visit in time." So it appears that each figure represents different countries, all presenting her with an invitation, which would be why the picture is titled "Pressing Invitations". It makes me wonder, how might semiotics and structuralism relate to reading this caricature? Curator: Excellent! Consider how each character functions as a signifier. They all have distinct characteristics but none so powerful as the words scrawled onto them that names their implicit place of origin. How might their arrangement relate to the composition's structure? Are we reading a scene or a collection of symbolic gestures? Editor: It makes so much sense the way the image is broken down in this way. Thanks for walking me through it. Curator: The pleasure was mine, especially exploring its layered significations with you.