Portrait of Jacob Ritter Sr. 

Curator: We’re now looking at “Portrait of Jacob Ritter Sr.”, an oil painting by John Lewis Krimmel. It’s a very direct, realistic portrayal of a man holding a book and a small sprig of greenery. Editor: It strikes me as so…grounded. The earthy tones, the almost severe expression. It feels like a no-nonsense depiction of a man of purpose. Curator: Absolutely. Considering the context of Krimmel’s work—he often focused on genre painting, capturing everyday scenes of American life—this portrait feels particularly telling. Jacob Ritter was a respected figure, a tanner and civic leader. This isn’t just a likeness; it's a statement about early American values, a connection to the land, perhaps even early medicinal practices given the plant in his hand. Editor: The sprig is interesting. It seems to be offered as a kind of symbol of something – life? Hope? There's also the open book he holds—knowledge, of course, but perhaps specifically a knowledge tied to the natural world. The placement is carefully arranged, almost sacramental. Curator: That aligns with what we know of the era, too. There was a strong emphasis on self-reliance and practicality but also a deeply rooted faith among community leaders, even a sense of noblesse oblige for providing remedies. This work seems to epitomize it. Editor: It brings up a fascinating question. Given what you’re saying, would a contemporary viewer have immediately understood all these references or perceived Ritter in ways that elude us now? Curator: Exactly. I think the weight he seems to carry in the painting is tied to notions of responsibility that were ingrained at that moment in American society and identity. There are other objects and details we may no longer perceive because their meanings have shifted dramatically through time. Editor: I'm now seeing a more nuanced reading than my initial, rather blunt response. Curator: That's the power of diving into the intersectional layers of history; artworks start to tell different stories with fresh cultural details each time. Editor: Definitely; looking more carefully is a means to honor how the narratives and their images speak with and through us.