The Letter 

Paul Fischer painted "The Letter," likely in the early 20th century, capturing a quiet moment of domestic life. The woman’s crisp white dress speaks to a certain level of bourgeois comfort, as does the carefully arranged interior. Painted in Denmark, the image also speaks to the institutional place of women in the home at the time. The child's portrait on the wall functions as a sort of institutional branding. While Fischer was not a member of the avant-garde, he was painting pictures for a specific social class. It would be worth checking magazines and domestic advice manuals from the time to see how this image participates in a broader cultural project. As historians, it’s our job to place this painting within the web of social and cultural forces that shaped its creation and reception. We can then ask what role art plays in reinforcing or challenging the status quo.