The Frozen Pond, small plate 1845

Editor: "The Frozen Pond, small plate," an etching on paper by Charles Jacque, dating back to 1845. The scene feels so still, so utterly quiet. All the detail is incredible, particularly considering its size. What really stands out is the… well, almost desolate feeling. What do you make of it? Curator: Desolate, yes, I can certainly feel that too! It is, after all, winter and rendered beautifully in monochromatic shades. I think there is an intentionality, a feeling for those isolated, in-between moments. It reminds me of some old poem where a man, utterly alone, sees three black birds flying… it feels stark. Perhaps hopeful, perhaps foreboding, maybe a little of both. It reminds me a little bit about the feeling one gets staring at the surface of the frozen pond in winter. How long until spring? What has already sunk beneath? Does that ring true? Editor: Absolutely. The single figure in the lower right – is he poling along? Fishing? I almost feel guilty, like I’m intruding on a private moment. Curator: A beautiful observation! Yes, I feel the same. He’s almost swallowed by the landscape. It could represent just about any of us facing our own private struggles and being confronted with this sort of stark and solitary scene. Did the artist want us to reflect on our connection to that frozen world, and therefore, the natural world? Maybe he was trying to bring attention to something as simple as noticing an individual amongst the vastness of everything. Editor: It really does draw you in – thank you, I wouldn't have thought to look at it that way! Curator: My pleasure, it’s an amazing little picture; it holds quite a bit. Thank you!