Victorian Valentine Card: Woman with Red Roses & 'Be My Valentine'

Like a modern rejection text that somehow got turned into fine art, this card presents what should be charming as something vaguely distressed — the girl in her elaborate red floral bonnet has buried her face in both hands beside a perfectly innocent heart-shaped Valentine's message, flanked by roses, as if the sheer horror of being asked out has caused a complete emotional collapse. The gold embossed background and delicate blue-dotted heart frame scream 'charming Edwardian romance,' while the subject screams 'I need a moment, possibly several moments, possibly forever.' Apparently, the most romantic way to ask 'will you be my Valentine?' is to commission an illustration of someone weeping into their own palms at the very prospect.