Illustration in Jérôme Paturot, by Louis Reybaud, Paris, 1846 1841 - 1851

Curator: What strikes me most is the poignancy of this scene. It is titled "Illustration in Jérôme Paturot, by Louis Reybaud, Paris, 1846" and was created sometime between 1841 and 1851 by J.J. Grandville, though you'll see it also gives credit to Louis Reybaud in its naming. Editor: You're right, it’s immediately tender but carries such a weight of unspoken things. A goodbye, perhaps? The figures embracing so tightly seems less about love and more about clinging to something that's already slipping away. Curator: The tight embrace is interesting because, historically, that physical contact signifies deep emotion, often of mourning or departure, particularly within the Romanticism movement—which is a key characteristic of Grandville's oeuvre, present throughout many of his works. Editor: Interesting… But even in the hatching, I find that the use of stark lines, and almost scratchy textures heightens that sense of unease, wouldn’t you agree? Also, notice the sketch above the finished portion. Is that a self-portrait of some kind? I wonder what this person, and maybe Grandville, was trying to tell us through these combined images. Curator: Likely it is. Often artists included studies or preparatory sketches alongside the final work. As an artist primarily known for prints and drawings, it is possible Grandville sought to contextualize that, as prints are meant to reach as many eyes as possible. As a result, there would naturally need to be more explanation for the consumer to grasp the significance. This image comes to us from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and shows that he achieved the mark. Editor: Ultimately, Grandville really gets to the gut of human relationships with so little. And the little vignette up top? Haunting! Curator: I concur—it highlights the potent emotional narrative Grandville could weave through deceptively simple lines. Editor: A potent snapshot of human emotion caught on paper, wouldn’t you say? I shall remember this one for a while.