Wintergezicht met boerderij met twee varkens 1875

Editor: We’re looking at "Winter Scene with Farmhouse and Two Pigs," an etching by Theodoor Hannon, created in 1875. It’s currently held at the Rijksmuseum. I find it so wonderfully…bleak! The lines are so delicate, but the overall feeling is definitely cold and solitary. What do you see in it? Curator: Bleak is such a delicious word for this! I almost feel the urge to stir hot cocoa, watching it. For me, it evokes a sense of quiet observation, a snapshot of a specific moment. Notice how Hannon focuses on the everyday details, not idealizing or romanticizing the winter landscape, it is all about Realism. How does the absence of vibrant color change your perception? Editor: I hadn't really considered how important the lack of color is! I guess I just accepted it as a given since it’s an etching. It definitely intensifies the feeling of starkness. Makes it more immediate somehow. Do you think it was a political choice, or aesthetic? Curator: Now that’s a question worthy of mulled wine! I suspect it’s both. Remember, realism sought truth, even if that truth was…grey. But it’s not *just* grey is it? Look closer - what nuances can we discover? What details stand out? Editor: The little details on the roof - is that snow clinging on? It seems incredibly fine, really captures the effect of individual flakes. And those...are those piggies?! Curator: Absolutely! It’s that intimate observation, isn't it, the humdrum of winter farm life. Do those tiny figures soften the harshness, or amplify it, somehow? What is the scene missing for it to come 'alive'? Editor: Wow, that's made me look at it very differently. Perhaps it’s not so bleak after all! Curator: See, art has this magic key – with gentle observation, suddenly a seemingly grey picture can change into vivid colours.