Songs: "O would t'were my lot..." 1822

Henry Thomas Alken created this print in 1822, etching a tableau of scenes accompanied by phrases taken from popular songs. Notice the figure with an outstretched arm at the top left, singing, fist raised, perhaps conducting an orchestra, an evocation of ecstatic expression. This gesture appears throughout art history, from ancient orators to religious figures bestowing blessings. Think, for instance, of the raised arms of praying figures in early Christian art. In contrast, the figure on the bottom right is cloaked in a veil, and appears to be weeping. Consider the ancient Greek depictions of mourning figures, and the universal symbol of grief: the face covered in mourning. This act, laden with sorrow, extends far beyond its immediate context, resonating with the collective unconscious of human loss and lamentation. Thus, art is a mirror reflecting not only the present but also the echoes of our past, resonating through time and cultural memory.