strixus:

ectoplasmosis:

The Irritating Gentleman - Berthold Woltze
1874

Same as it ever was.

Oh gods, that’s even worse if you understand the FULL horror of what is happening.

She’s young, and dressed in full mourning dress. This means she’s either mourning for a child, a parent or sibling, or her husband.

If it was a husband, she’s been in this state for at least a year - widowed women were not supposed to leave home until a year had passed, but had to continue wearing full mourning for at least another year after that.

However, since she isn’t wearing a veil, my guess is it is likely either a parent or child. If it is a parent or sibling  six months was generally the period of full mourning. If it was a child, she could wear this as long as she wished. My guess would likely be a parent or sibling, since she is shown traveling. 

So you have a horrible man, leering at this woman who is dressed to show her grief at the loss of someone close, at a time when she not only would be unable to be social had she wanted to, but when such an approach was the worst decorum possible of a man in public.

A woman, having lost a parent, sibling, or child, is being oogled as a sexual object at the very time when society denies her sexuality the most.