Victorian Valentine Card: Dutch Girl & Boy
Text on Card
To my Valentine. It beats the Dutch how much in life, Depends upon one's choice of wife. Your form and face I find divine, Say will you be my Valentine?
Description
A young woman in traditional Dutch costume—complete with a white linen cap and a striking red skirt—holds hands with a smaller boy dressed in a blue jacket and green trousers with a dark flat-topped hat in this charming Victorian Valentine. The card celebrates romance with witty verse that playfully references the importance of choosing a wife wisely, suggesting that appearance and character determine one's happiness. The tender domestic scene is rendered in soft chromolithographic tones, capturing the sentimental ideals of Valentine's Day during the late 19th century.
Subjects
Dutch girl, young boy, traditional costume, romantic couple, children
Printing Notes
Hand-colored chromolithographic process with delicate color gradations typical of 1880s-1890s production techniques.
