Zevental kippen before 1899

Hildegard Lehnert made this photograph, "Zevental kippen," though the date remains unknown. Lehnert was working in a period where photography was becoming increasingly accessible, yet still navigated by distinct gender roles. In this image, we see a seemingly simple subject: chickens. However, consider the era. Lehnert, as a woman, engaged with a medium often dominated by men. What narratives might she have been drawn to, or perhaps even compelled to depict? Was this an attempt to render visible the everyday, domestic sphere so often relegated to women? Or, was there an aesthetic interest in form and light, something separate from subject matter? Consider how our understanding of this image shifts when viewed through the lens of gender and social context. Lehnert's choice to photograph chickens may have had a deeper significance, subtly challenging the artistic status quo.