Siesta II (from the series Etched Sketches) 1879

Max Klinger created this etching, "Siesta II," as part of his "Etched Sketches" series. The image suggests a woman at leisure, but it also hints at the social expectations surrounding women in late 19th-century Germany. Consider the visual codes: the woman reclines in a hammock, seemingly carefree, yet she's watched over by a seated cat that seems to be guarding her. Is the cat a metaphor for social constraints placed on women of the time? Klinger was working in a society undergoing rapid industrialization, one where traditional gender roles were being challenged. His art often engaged with these issues, sometimes critiquing societal norms, other times reinforcing them. To understand Klinger's perspective, we can turn to the art criticism and social commentary of his day, providing us with a richer appreciation of the art's complex relationship to its time.