I Tell You Sincerely (Valentine)

Art Historical Context

Step into the romantic world of Victorian sentiment with *I Tell You Sincerely (Valentine)*, a charming lithograph created around 1840 by British artist George Kershaw. Folded to a compact 22.5 × 18.7 cm, this piece from the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings collection exemplifies the era's burgeoning valentine tradition. Kershaw, a skilled lithographer, captured heartfelt declarations of love in a format that blended mass production with personal touch, making romance accessible to the middle class. Printed in brown ink on embossed ivory wove paper and enhanced with delicate hand-coloring, the work showcases lithography's revolutionary potential—a greasy-crayon process invented decades earlier that allowed intricate designs to be reproduced affordably. The embossing adds a tactile, luxurious texture, mimicking fine lace or fabric, while the hand-applied colors lend a bespoke warmth, bridging handmade folk art with emerging commercial printing. Culturally, this valentine reflects 19th-century Britain's obsession with courtship rituals, fueled by improved postal services and Valentine's Day commercialization. Such cards, often mailed anonymously, democratized affection, turning private emotions into public expressions. A sweet survivor of fleeting romance, it invites us to ponder the timeless thrill of a sincere "I love you."

About the Artist

George Kershaw

George Kershaw is an artist whose works have been preserved in museum collections in meaningful quantity, pointing to a genuine career and a recognized body of output, even though the biographical details that would identify his nationality, training, and active period have not been established in the sources currently available. The absence of nationality information alongside the absence of date...