The mouse trap 1872

Editor: Here we have Alexandre Antigna's etching, "The Mouse Trap," created in 1872. It's such an intimate scene; there's almost a naive sense of joy on their faces watching the mouse. How would you interpret this work? Curator: The immediate reading is of children caught in a moment of mischievous curiosity. However, I wonder about the mouse itself, a symbol historically associated with the plague and broader societal anxieties, particularly for the peasantry, wouldn't you agree? Editor: That's not something I had considered. So, their joy could be interpreted as almost a form of social commentary? Curator: Precisely! Perhaps a subtle, even subconscious release of tension? Notice how the elder child, eyes closed, embodies a smug confidence, the almost hidden baby displaying unbridled fear. What emotional echoes do those responses create for you? Editor: It gives me a shiver. Like there's a darker side to this seemingly harmless pastime, almost playing God to something tiny and helpless. Is this something audiences at the time would have recognized? Curator: Quite possibly, yes. They lived much closer to these anxieties; for them, this mouse represented a palpable threat. Think also about the box - is it not a vessel for containment, echoing a restrictive societal structure of which these children are about to inherit? Editor: I see that now, the faces communicate different anxieties and understandings, or a lack thereof. Looking at the scene from a psychological lens really brings out a different layer to the work. Curator: It is rewarding how layers of understanding are revealed. That interplay between the symbol and lived experience across time keeps art alive. Editor: It’s fascinating how seemingly simple scenes carry so much symbolic weight and tell multiple narratives once you begin to dig a bit deeper!