Caught in the Act (from "Harper's Bazar," Vol. VIII) 1875

Curator: This is "Caught in the Act," a pen and pencil drawing printed in Harper's Bazar in 1875, by William Ludwell Sheppard. What's your immediate take? Editor: It's giving me very strong, very hushed, 'don't tell anyone what we are doing' vibes. All dark lines and the shadow. Curator: I see it. The imagery speaks to transgression and the symbolic weight of forbidden activities, perhaps gambling? Notice how the older man lurks, half-visible, in the shadows; is he authority or temptation? Editor: I think that depends on the class implications! He might be exploiting child labor or maybe he's in charge of monitoring them or even… facilitating games so they have fun breaks from manual labor. The setting looks like it might be some kind of farm. What kind of print medium it is matters. It shows that images circulated very quickly. The material conditions surrounding illustration in periodicals had very specific social impact. Curator: The act of "catching" speaks to anxieties of the time; is Sheppard commenting on the moral landscape of America post-Civil War? Or is it a humorous scene of childhood mischief? Maybe a blend of both. These boys risk something by engaging in the illicit game. Their focus carries the intensity of something much greater than just playing cards. Editor: I also want to talk about the composition, too! There's lots of clever use of light and dark and an interesting treatment of interior spaces. And while academic art values line over shadow usually. You still see the strong play with both, right? A lot of work would have been involved to translate it to the page. It shows expertise with certain material skills Curator: Absolutely. And the composition creates layers of meaning. The use of shadow cloaks certain areas, adding mystery. Editor: Agreed. Well, this has offered quite a complex look at something that on the surface appears so simple, an everyday scene with a wink. Curator: Yes, these shadows seem to conceal more than meets the eye!