Familielivet i et fiskerleje på Sjællands nordkyst 1880s

Curator: My first impression is one of serene realism, capturing a family's quiet life by the sea. There's a sense of harmony, even amidst the potential harshness of their surroundings. Editor: That’s well said. Let me introduce you to “Family Life in a Fishing Village on the North Coast of Zealand,” a lithograph print from the 1880s by Adolph Kittendorff, found here at the SMK. Curator: Lithograph? It lends a surprisingly soft, almost dreamlike quality. You can almost smell the salt air. I'm drawn to the details in the faces. You sense the life etched there – the worries and joys. The hands, worn but capable. I feel like I could reach out and touch their clothes and feel the rough fibers. The quiet contentment as the kid plays... oh, I bet I would have loved to be playing by the sea! Editor: I’m struck by the production of this image as print, which means it was designed for distribution and likely mass consumption. Think about the materials involved: the lithographic stone, the specific inks used, and the paper stock. Kittendorff used them with a remarkable precision, especially considering the social and economic implications inherent in printmaking in that era. A print democratizes the access to the image. Curator: So, what are they "consuming" if not fish that day? They might also consume some leisure! Look at the light, the textures – Kittendorff's realism is romanticized. Even the beach has such beautiful color depth – not only the sea but the vegetation further up the embankment... this lithography sings. It takes hold of my soul, even so simply and in such subdued color. It offers us a chance to imagine into another existence in a very vivid and sympathetic manner. I can also consider the physical labour involved - fishing is, to this day, still such hard work. What is it like when both the father and mother participate? Is the lithographer emphasizing an even-handed approach? I bet not. But one can think it so if one wills. Editor: That reading touches on interesting class dynamics within the print’s dissemination, and what it reveals of societal values regarding the fisherman family at the time. This lithograph provides a fascinating lens through which to consider those factors... We both came to a somewhat fresh awareness thanks to seeing with our ears for once! Curator: Indeed! Sometimes, hearing a different perspective lets you see things anew, doesn't it? It is indeed as refreshing as being kissed by the sun and water.