Posten 1845

Editor: This is Adolph Kittendorff's "Posten," a lithograph from 1845 held at the Statens Museum for Kunst. It strikes me as quite stark; the lines are so distinct and create a very isolated feeling, featuring a solitary figure at a water pump. How do you interpret this work, especially considering the social context of its time? Curator: Seeing this through a historical lens, I think of it less as isolated and more as situated. The “Posten,” or pump, was a public utility, a site of daily life and social interaction in 19th-century Denmark. Kittendorff, as a genre painter working in the Romantic style, often focused on everyday scenes. How does knowing this inform your perception? Editor: It shifts my thinking entirely! It’s not an isolated scene but part of a shared resource. It feels like the artist captured an element of community. But why create a print like this; was there an audience for it? Curator: Absolutely. Prints like this were often disseminated broadly, accessible to a wider audience than paintings exhibited in private galleries or aristocratic collections. This artwork served to shape perceptions of rural life. Who is being depicted here? How does this inform your analysis? Editor: I see… The figure appears to be a postal worker getting water, perhaps refreshing themselves during their route? And being accessible means the art would affect social attitudes on postal workers, or working conditions generally, I suppose! Curator: Precisely. By focusing on such a mundane moment of public life, Kittendorff participates in the visual construction of Danish national identity and values through depictions of workers who might not be traditionally celebrated as heroes. It subtly emphasizes themes of labor and public service. Editor: I wouldn't have initially thought this simple image could have so much cultural weight. I learned to always question initial impressions! Curator: And to remember art’s inextricable link to the society from which it springs, its cultural influence!