Old Tramp 1880

Editor: This is "Old Tramp," an oil painting from 1880 by Laszlo Mednyanszky. The heavy impasto makes the figure seem to emerge right out of the gloom. What can you tell me about how the materiality connects to the subject matter here? Curator: Observe how the rough application of oil paint mirrors the hard life depicted. Consider the accessibility of the materials themselves; were oil paints as easily attainable for all artists in 1880, and what impact would accessibility to such materials have? Editor: I guess that even though Mednyanszky uses what might be considered 'fine art' materials, he's using them to depict someone outside the mainstream. It makes you wonder about his social perspective. Curator: Exactly. The 'tramp' wasn't a subject commonly explored by high art at the time. The materials he uses, while traditionally associated with wealth and status, serve to bring visibility to an experience usually ignored, possibly criticizing the system which produces this inequality. Editor: So the very act of creating this piece with oil paint is a statement in itself. Was this typical for Realist or Romantic painters of the time? Did other artists make similar choices, either honoring the poor, or, in contrast, pointing to societal failings? Curator: It's a great point, the shift towards Realism saw an increased interest in portraying everyday life. However, Mednyanszky’s process invites us to examine whose labour is valued and whose is discarded within a growing industrialised society, and how he positions the sitter in a non idealized form using tactile paint application. Does the material reality affect our perceptions of value, of worth, within both the artwork and society at large? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. It’s fascinating to consider the connection between the art materials and social commentary. Curator: Precisely! Analyzing the choices an artist makes in material use, combined with their subject, and time of manufacture, unlocks so many layers of interpretation.