Today! 1894

Editor: We're looking at "Today!" by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, created in 1894. It’s a lithograph on paper, currently at the Art Institute of Chicago. It's pretty striking, with that sharp contrast between the figures in the foreground and the industrial landscape in the background. There's a real tension there. What's your read on this piece? Curator: That tension is key. Steinlen was deeply engaged with the social and political climate of his time. The division you see isn’t just aesthetic; it reflects a society fractured along class lines. Notice how the well-dressed figures observe the laboring class? It prompts questions about visibility, power, and who controls the narrative of "progress". Editor: The gazes do feel very pointed, but at who? It's hard to be certain of where that criticism lies. Curator: Exactly! Who do you think was the target audience for a print like this, and how might they have interpreted those gazes? Consider also the context of fin-de-siècle Paris, rife with social unrest and anxieties about industrialization. These anxieties are made material by the figures he chooses to depict in contrast. How might those factors shift our understanding of Steinlen’s choices? Editor: I hadn't considered that. It's like Steinlen used visual shorthand to represent those tensions in a tangible way. Looking at the work that way, it speaks to those who may be disenfranchised. Curator: Precisely. And seeing it as a social document encourages thinking about the institution exhibiting the artwork, and how displaying "Today!" affects its meaning. It pushes us to explore these intersections of power, art, and history. Editor: So much to think about – seeing art as not just a visual object but a kind of historical record! It definitely changes my perspective. Curator: That is the beauty of looking at art this way. These layers exist together within a work.