Winding Road 1747

Editor: Here we have Johann Georg Wille's "Winding Road." It's an etching. I find the family grouping interesting; there's a staged quality that gives me pause. What do you make of this seemingly pastoral scene? Curator: This idyllic image is complicated by the historical context. Who is afforded leisure in this period? The discarded musical instruments suggest a performance. Who were the audience and what power dynamics were at play? Editor: So, the 'winding road' is less about a journey and more about the social structures of the time? Curator: Precisely. The image invites us to consider the unseen labor and social inequalities that enabled such moments of leisure. Editor: It reframes the whole image. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. It's about questioning what we see at first glance.