Evicted Tenants 1892

Curator: Ah, yes, Erik Henningsen’s “Evicted Tenants,” painted in 1892. It's currently held here at the SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. Quite a scene, isn’t it? Editor: Utterly bleak. Visually, it feels like the snow is burying the figures, just like the crushing weight of poverty. So, let's talk about the literal stuff here: notice the assortment of household objects cast out on the snow: bedding, chairs, buckets…it screams material hardship. Curator: Henningsen captures the stark reality of urban poverty with such poignant detail, wouldn’t you agree? Each face seems etched with worry, resignation, and exhaustion... You almost feel like the scene whispers directly to your heart. Editor: True. And those material possessions… those are all objects intimately connected with daily survival. Their placement in the snow implies their devaluation, and more tragically the dispossession of these human subjects. Where were these goods made, who purchased them, how many hours did these individuals labor? Curator: A grim winter tableau indeed, but it's more than mere sentimental genre painting, it makes a clear and stark comment about injustice, wouldn't you say? Look how the figures are arranged; a huddled mass, contrasting with the police officer and another figure near the door; symbols of authority. The painting becomes an echo of real life at that time. Editor: Indeed. What tools did Henningsen use? I want to know about his choice of oil paints; a medium strongly tied to elite portraiture in Denmark in the late 1800s! In the late 1800s, Oil paint was considered a valuable material: Who had access, who provided the pigments, how was it received? Curator: It's interesting how he takes something considered ‘elite’ like oil paints, and uses it to amplify the plight of these working-class people, but for me, there's a human truth that transcends materials. It gets at the heart of human dignity. How could they reclaim it at this moment of utmost disgrace, do you think? Editor: I see the artist weaponizing traditional techniques in order to question power dynamics. Where was Henningsen buying those brushes? From what industrial sources did his colors come? And whose labor made these paintings possible? I'd wager those "elite" paint retailers never suffered eviction. Curator: You make such insightful points, reframing this around the production, materials and even Henningsen's socio-economic background… It makes you think about the relationship between art, reality, and social justice. Thank you for enriching the piece for me. Editor: Always a pleasure, for now let's go warm our fingers with something stronger than social consciousness, but, as a last thought; where are the products of their labor? Surely they're enriching someone in Copenhagen!