In the Open Air 1890

Editor: Here we have Anders Zorn’s 1890 etching, "In the Open Air". The figures are so loosely rendered, it's almost dreamlike. What jumps out at you about this print? Curator: For me, it's the intersection of medium and subject. Zorn, primarily known as a painter, chose etching—a medium typically associated with reproduction and dissemination—to depict this idyllic scene. The question is, how does the industrial potential of etching inform our understanding of leisure and nature here? Editor: That’s an interesting point. It does feel a bit contradictory. Is it supposed to question or comment on society or economy? Curator: Exactly! Consider the social context: Industrialization was transforming landscapes and labor practices. Etching, as a printmaking process, is inherently about labor and the multiplication of images. This piece offers a glimpse into the consumption patterns of art at the time; prints allowed wider audiences to collect art. Was this image of leisure designed to be consumed by those who lacked it? Editor: So the choice of etching isn't just about the aesthetic qualities it brings, but also about making art available in a market driven by production and consumption? Curator: Precisely. It reframes how we see the figures within the image and questions how such scenes of relaxation exist in relation to the mechanics of artistic production. What do you make of the relatively small scale and the large amount of blank paper? Editor: It draws attention to the art object, itself—the paper and the work on the paper—not only on the scene. Curator: Yes! And that’s something I’ll keep in mind from now on. Editor: It gives us a new insight for understanding the meaning.