True Love's Fond Token (Valentine)
Medium
Collaged elements with watercolor and pen and black ink on gray accented and embossed ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Folded sheet: 11.5 × 9.3 cm (4 9/16 × 3 11/16 in.)
Classification
valentine
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
75791
Art Historical Context
"True Love's Fond Token (Valentine)" by Joseph Addenbrooke is a charming example of 19th-century sentimental folk art, crafted as an intimate greeting card. This undated work, housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, folds to a petite 11.5 × 9.3 cm, perfect for slipping into a pocket or envelope as a token of affection. Addenbrooke, a lesser-known artist associated with handmade valentines, captures the era's romantic fervor through delicate imagery evoking enduring love. The artwork's medium shines in its inventive collage technique, layering cutout elements w...