The Illustrated London News, Supplement, 6 Feb. 1869 : Skating on the lake of Suresn (...) 1869

Curator: This is an engraving from 1869, titled "Skating on the Lake of Suresnes, Bois de Boulogne, Paris" featured in The Illustrated London News. It’s a snapshot of Parisian leisure, created by Jules Pelcoq. Editor: It immediately strikes me as a scene of bustling festivity. A crowd of figures on a frozen lake, all layered clothing and implied motion – very much a study of class and recreation. Curator: Indeed, it’s a glimpse into the leisure activities enjoyed by the Parisian bourgeoisie of the time. The Bois de Boulogne was transformed during the Second Empire into a pleasure ground, and skating was all the rage. We see men in top hats and women in elaborate dresses enjoying the ice. Editor: I'm drawn to how the bodies create a sense of swirling momentum. The clothing, while detailed, almost becomes abstract, reflecting social constraints, too, wouldn’t you say? Curator: I agree. The details tell us so much about social performance in public spaces and dress codes during that period. Note the scale, its function as a supplement for a newspaper demonstrates the growth of a visual and print culture where leisure became news. Editor: Exactly, and it's intriguing to think about how images like these normalized certain lifestyles and subtly excluded others. It really does remind us of what, and who, is often left out of historical depictions of leisure. Curator: Absolutely. Studying the institutions, the socio-economic structures, and visual regimes within which artworks like this one are produced, reveals a lot about the history of leisure, class, and representation in the late 19th century. Editor: By layering these intersectional contexts, we deepen the connection to our history, and our present! I was expecting less, to be honest, but now I'm moved by how images have this great power, regardless.