Forget Me Not (valentine)

Art Historical Context

In the mid-19th century, the Victorian era's peak of romantic sentimentality, Thomas Wood crafted *Forget Me Not (val)* around 1860–69. This delicate collage exemplifies the era's popular handmade love tokens, exchanged on Valentine's Day to convey enduring affection. Tucked into the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings collection, its diminutive folded size— just 6.1 × 8.1 cm—suggests it was designed as an intimate, portable missive, unfolding to reveal layered surprises. Wood employed intricate techniques on ivory wove paper: collaged elements combined with precise cutting and embossing to create dimensional effects, mimicking lace or floral motifs. Forget-me-nots, symbols of true love and remembrance, likely feature prominently, their name a poignant pun pleading "forget me not." Such paper crafts were artistic pastimes for amateurs and professionals alike, blending printmaking precision with handmade whimsy in an age before mass-produced cards. This valentine captures cultural nostalgia for tactile romance, highlighting collage's rise as an accessible medium. Visitors can appreciate how Wood's work bridged folk art and fine craft, offering a window into 19th-century courtship rituals.