The Unicorn (Valiant Little Tailor) 

Editor: Here we have Kay Nielsen’s watercolor titled "The Unicorn (Valiant Little Tailor)". It’s ethereal, with this almost dreamlike quality. The textures created with watercolor are particularly interesting; everything from the man's clothing to the unicorn's hair seem very tactile. How would you approach interpreting a work like this? Curator: This illustration calls my attention to the social function of fairy tales. The story it accompanies was not created in a vacuum. Who was commissioning Nielsen? What was the original cultural context and intent of the Brothers Grimm tale itself, "The Brave Little Tailor"? How do the materials employed – the use of watercolor specifically, instead of, say, oil – affect its perceived value and accessibility? Is watercolor viewed as "lesser," more feminine, or crafted, which has historically impacted how it’s been valued compared to more established art forms? Editor: So, are you saying the *choice* of medium reflects certain cultural values or biases? Curator: Precisely! Consider how the commercial art world values paintings over illustrations, even if they both require immense skill and labor. Where would this image have lived? In a book, reproduced en masse and distributed to a growing literate public. This reproduction devalues the ‘aura’ of the original art, but provides an income stream for the artist. Was this a viable form of labor for Nielsen? We should consider who could *afford* books in this era, as well as access to art, in general. How does this affect the social implications of a widespread piece like this? Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered the labor aspect and how the medium ties into consumption. Curator: Yes. Nielsen's work also opens an interesting discussion around commercial art as a job in itself, and what the economic status was of artists producing fairy tale images at this point. Did the popularity of a subject make an artist “sell out,” or were they successfully making art that provided them with means and sustenance? These are all things to reflect upon when evaluating fairy-tale illustration of the period. Editor: That makes me rethink how I view not just the image but its historical existence. Thanks for providing that framework!