The Concert 1898

Editor: Here we have Magnus Enckell’s “The Concert” from 1898, rendered in oil on canvas. I'm struck by the somber mood, everyone is so serious, and they're all wearing very formal dark attire. What can you tell me about the creation of this painting, its materiality, and how it relates to the social context in which it was made? Curator: It’s interesting that you picked up on the dark attire. Considering the period, that tells us about access to specific dyes and fabrics, and by extension, social standing and access to wealth, but what about the application of paint itself? Notice how Enckell uses visible brushstrokes, not trying to hide the process, it almost draws attention to the act of painting. What does that choice mean for a portrait like this? Editor: It does make the piece feel less formal and more like a captured moment. Was he perhaps trying to elevate everyday experiences of labor or even challenge established notions of high art? Curator: Precisely! By showcasing the labor, he’s connecting this scene with the processes and materials used to make the art and forcing us to look at those people through that lens. Also, consider where paint itself came from at that time. The pigments, the linseed oil... these are raw materials, commodities often extracted through global, colonialized networks. Does seeing those connections shift how you read the "seriousness" you noticed earlier? Editor: I think it does. Seeing it connected to all these material conditions gives it a critical, rather than just somber, quality. Like maybe the concert itself, the performance, is part of a larger economic and material reality that is somber? Curator: Exactly! This gives us much to consider when we examine not just who is represented, but *how* they are represented. Editor: Thanks for the insight, seeing how the material underpins the meaning changes everything. Curator: Indeed, it’s a lens that can transform how we view any artwork!