Legende kattekillinger. To killinger, der leger med en bold 1861

Editor: This marble sculpture, “Legende kattekillinger. To killinger, der leger med en bold,” or “Legend Kittens: Two Kittens Playing with a Ball,” created in 1861 by J.A. Jerichau, is delightful! I find the tenderness and detail so compelling. What symbolic layers are you seeing? Curator: Well, consider the cat. Since antiquity, it’s carried potent, often contradictory, symbolic weight. On one paw, linked with independence, mystery, and even divinity – think of Bastet in Egyptian lore. Yet, also associated with feminine wiles, darkness, and the occult in other cultural contexts. Here, playful kittens complicate a simple reading. Editor: How so? Curator: Kittens often signify innocence, new beginnings, and playfulness. Consider how this contrasts with a more mature cat, or perhaps even a predatory feline like a lion. Jerichau freezes a moment of pure, unburdened joy. A nostalgic look at youth, perhaps? Consider the cultural climate of mid-19th century. Industrialization. Shifting societal structures. Could this be a romanticized yearning for simpler times? Editor: So, the choice of kittens is very deliberate? It is interesting how our view of an animal is heavily coded by time and place. Curator: Exactly. This wasn't arbitrary. Each element—the kittens, the ball, the medium of marble, which links to classical ideals—contributes to a tapestry of meanings, resonating differently across historical periods. These kittens playing become an allegorical statement. The sculpture invites a layered, rather than singular, reading. What did you discover about the process in considering the piece more deeply? Editor: That decoding even a seemingly straightforward image can lead you down unexpected paths! Curator: Precisely! It reveals how artists tap into collective memory and how viewers continuously renegotiate meaning.