Pigeon Girl 18th-19th century

Editor: This is "Pigeon Girl," by Carl Gottlieb Rasp, from around the late 18th century. The print shows a woman cradling birds, and there’s something unsettling about it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a carefully constructed image that normalizes human dominance over the natural world. How does the artist position the woman as the caretaker, seemingly innocent, when the birds’ confinement speaks to a larger societal control? This is a question of power, wouldn't you agree? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. The gentleness of the image initially distracted me from the power dynamics at play. Curator: Exactly! By questioning these seemingly benign depictions, we begin to unravel the subtle ways in which art can perpetuate and normalize oppressive structures. We should ask ourselves what is being concealed. Editor: That's a perspective that really changes how I look at art. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It’s about continual questioning.