Fiddle-faced knave valentine
This is an excellent example of the satirical Valentines that were popular in Britian during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It illustrates the longstanding association of the guitar with jokesters and lotharios and depicts the social role of music and particularly its links with courtship. Indeed, the cross-legged posture of the strumming guitar player recalls Watteau’s famous painting of Mezzetin (34.138).
Artwork Details
- Title: Fiddle-faced knave valentine
- Artist: Anonymous
- Date: c. 1870
- Culture: British
- Medium: Hand colored etching
- Dimensions: paper size is 282 x 240mm., plate size is 219 x 188mm
- Classification: Prints
- Object Number: 2025.976
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
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