Kom Bos!. Udenfor et boelsted sidder en kone med et barn, der rækker hen imod en ko 1847

Editor: This is Johan Thomas Lundbye's "Kom Bos!. Udenfor et boelsted sidder en kone med et barn, der rækker hen imod en ko," from 1847. It’s an ink drawing with delicate lines depicting a rural scene. It feels simple but touching. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, focusing on the material aspects, consider the ready availability of ink and paper in the mid-19th century. This artwork becomes a testament to the accessibility of art creation for a certain class of artist. Ink allowed for detail, capturing rural life but what does that reflect about labour? Editor: Labour? Do you mean the labour in the drawing, showing the people working on the land? Curator: I mean that in part, but I want us to consider Lundbye’s own labour in producing this drawing, then consider for whom he's making it. Think about the rising middle class as new art consumers; there is a change in who owns and commissions art in 19th-century Europe. So, consider how he may have presented a romanticised view of agrarian existence that may have appealed to that burgeoning urban audience. Editor: Ah, I see! The subject and its method become a commodity of artistic skill that’s dependent on paper availability and a middle class audience to sustain artistic production and romantic notions about country life. Curator: Precisely. It encourages us to analyse it through its production and consumption, looking beyond surface representation. The pastoral ideal isn't just an aesthetic choice. Editor: So, it’s not just about a nice scene; it speaks about society. I hadn't really considered how that kind of image could have been created as a product and its relationship with an audience! Curator: Seeing art in a socioeconomic light gives a greater understanding of art-making as a cultural activity.