King of the hill 1909

Curator: Let's take a look at John Bauer's "King of the Hill" created in 1909, employing drawing techniques that incorporate both pencil and watercolor. What are your first thoughts? Editor: I’m immediately struck by a feeling of ancientness. Like a living mountain slowly observing everything beneath. His crown feels a little precarious, doesn't it? Curator: It's interesting that you note the "living mountain" quality, since Bauer, within his artistic circle, would be exposed to symbolist approaches and his association to Swedish folklore likely would make the boundary between the natural world and mythical creatures quite porous, evident here by the anthropomorphic integration of the king and hill. Let’s delve into the materials. The blended use of watercolor and pencil – where do you think the emphasis lies? Editor: Definitely in the layered textures. You see it in the 'beard' cascading down like an earthen waterfall and the subtle variations within the treeline, implying an intimacy with the forest. The soft strokes allow for ambiguity. I get this dreamlike essence. Curator: This ties directly to Sweden's socio-political climate in the early 20th century. National Romanticism emphasized the pastoral to establish cultural identity as urbanization boomed. Bauer’s integration of national mythos and available media can be assessed to examine a specific longing for Sweden’s historical continuity during a period of industrial shift. Editor: Fascinating! It makes me wonder about the trees lining the mountain's lower slopes...like an audience perhaps? Maybe those at the very bottom of the hill near the light even offer some reverence to the mountain. It feels...charged. Curator: Indeed. I find Bauer’s craft, while seemingly modest in its accessible materials, builds narratives directly reflecting social interest and cultural heritage, positioning artwork, even fantasy work like this, into political and cultural dialogue. Editor: Absolutely, it shows how art can embody this conversation on the big and small scale simultaneously. From epic folklore down to each stroke of watercolor, really stunning. Curator: It enlivens the discourse through creative interpretation of myth in tangible form, giving audiences, then and now, an access point that pure rhetoric often lacks. Editor: It certainly gave me something to ponder, approaching the role of fantasy not just for simple escapism, but cultural anchoring.