Standing Bull 1896

Editor: We’re looking at Anne Marie Carl Nielsen’s “Standing Bull” from 1896, rendered in bronze and located in the SMK. I’m immediately struck by its solidity; it feels both powerful and grounded. What's your take? Curator: Well, consider the choice of bronze. Its materiality speaks to labor, both the artist’s and the foundry workers'. Bronze, from extraction to casting, is embedded in a system of production. Does this rendering of a powerful animal reflect social power structures of the time? Editor: That’s an interesting point; the bronze-casting process itself becomes part of the narrative. The process of molding the bull using such raw materials elevates it from just a work of art to an artifact loaded with cultural information. Curator: Precisely. And the context! Agriculture was evolving in the late 19th century. What role did cattle play in the economy and labor practices of that period, and how does this sculpture reflect or challenge those systems? Think of the bull not just as an animal, but as a commodity, a symbol of wealth and sustenance shaped by human intervention. Editor: So you're saying that seeing the bull depicted in bronze shifts its meaning from the animal to a representation of economic power? And how agriculture and industry at the time relate to it? I hadn’t considered that before! I appreciate this take! Curator: Indeed. Consider the sculpture as the product of particular labor arrangements, reflective of its time. Appreciating art involves an examination of materiality and means of production. Editor: Looking at the work, the material processes of sculpting it now open my eyes to an entirely new side. Thank you!