Security guard reading newspaper at the staircase 1879

Hugo Mühlig made this watercolor painting, depicting a security guard engrossed in a newspaper, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The artist’s application of the watercolor medium is fairly straightforward. Notice the thin washes of color, layered to create form and shadow, which would have been built up slowly. What makes the painting compelling is the subject matter itself: the image of labor, here represented by a uniformed man performing the rote task of security, punctuated by a moment of leisure. The detailed rendering of the guard's uniform, the newspaper, and the architectural setting, all suggest a concern for accurately portraying the trappings of everyday life. In this way, Mühlig elevates the image of a common worker to the level of fine art, challenging traditional hierarchies of subject matter. We are invited to consider the value of labor and the humanity of the individual.