Italienrinder 1880s

Editor: Here we have Adolph Kittendorff's lithograph from the 1880s, called "Italienrinder" which, judging from the title and the Italian landscape, must be about Italian cattle... although, seeing these women, it looks more like "Italian Children"! There’s a tranquil domesticity to the scene. What do you see in this piece, beyond the obvious motherhood theme? Curator: Well, beyond the Madonna-esque composition with mother and child, it sparks a certain curiosity in me, a whisper of storytelling, if you will. Look at the second woman, perched on her knees, playfully trying to get the baby's attention. Perhaps this is simply a genre painting, capturing an everyday moment, or maybe there is more history embedded in those rocky shores, and perhaps some playful exchange of motherhood wisdom. What is your first reading of her gesture? Editor: That's a really lovely reading! At first glance I perceived that other woman as simply fetching water or something, assisting the mother. But there is definitely a teasing element there too...I am suddenly seeing so much joy and vitality! Perhaps I was just thrown off by the muted color palette and didn't notice it! Curator: Isn't it funny how a monochrome palette can almost mute joy for us, huh? Yet this piece seems to subtly explode with life. So often these seemingly simple domestic scenes reveal far more complex emotional textures. Next time you're near a print, spend time to notice subtle hints of history behind that joy, and let the monochrome play with you, instead of against. Editor: I will. Thanks for showing me how much I could get from this simple domestic scene! Curator: My pleasure. Every artwork, you see, is like a poem, needing patient eyes to unwrap each gift.