Fishing c. 1880

Carl Brenner created this etching called ‘Fishing’ sometime in the late 19th century. Brenner, a German-American artist active in Kentucky, captured leisure in this image of a formally dressed couple spending time by the water. The act of fishing is positioned between labor and relaxation, and we can consider how class influences the consumption of leisure. For the middle and upper classes, the late 1800s saw an increase in leisure time, and the rise of activities such as sport fishing, which had previously been done for subsistence. The woman’s elaborate dress may indicate that the location here is staged, rather than a truly natural environment. The tree is awkwardly placed, and the couple is positioned in an unnatural way, suggesting a highly constructed scene. Understanding this image depends on understanding the economic and social conditions that made it possible, and here a social history provides valuable context. We can look to period literature, fashion magazines and even tax records to get a better picture. Art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.