Hunden ved stranden 1845

Curator: Here we have "Hunden ved stranden," or "Dog by the Beach," a lithograph made with ink, created around 1845 by Adolph Kittendorff. What do you make of this little scene? Editor: There's a melancholic vibe. Just a lonely dog staring out at a distant ship. Makes you wonder what it's thinking. It's like the Edward Hopper of canines, you know? Curator: Well, considering Kittendorff’s context within the Danish Golden Age, a time of national romanticism and focus on the close observation of nature, it fits right in. Dogs as symbols of loyalty were common. Is this dog waiting for someone or something? That would align with the social values of the time. Editor: Could be, or maybe he just likes watching ships go by! The composition, with the dog in the foreground, is wonderful. The roughness of the wood under his paws and then that distant horizon... it's just very emotionally evocative for such a simple drawing. It also strikes me how this is less a portrait *of* a dog, but more a glimpse *into* a dog's experience. Curator: I agree, there is an element of romanticism to this observation of an animal's presumed inner life. It would be very interesting to examine the reception of works like this, and how these depictions of animals contributed to changing attitudes, or reinforced certain cultural ideas around animals in society. Were depictions like these considered sentimental, and by whom? Editor: Right! Were critics thinking "Oh, come on, it's just a dog?" Or were they weeping over the universal feeling of waiting? I am thinking about my cats looking out the window all day long. It's art reflecting reality back to us... and reminding us of all the creatures looking back, waiting with us. Curator: Precisely, and looking closely, it feels like an intimate moment, almost voyeuristic in its closeness, don't you think? Thanks to Kittendorff, it encourages us to project our own narratives onto this simple drawing of a dog watching the sea. Editor: You know, I walked in thinking this was a simple ink drawing, but I am going away with a newfound appreciation for the Danish Golden Age's "dog by the sea"! It really sparked my interest.