Kerzenmacher 

Ivan Mrkvička created "Kerzenmacher," or "Candlemaker," offering us a glimpse into 19th-century craft and labor. Mrkvička, who was born in Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic), spent much of his career documenting Slavic folk life. This image presents an interesting dichotomy: a tradesman in the midst of his labor, surrounded by icons and religious imagery. We are confronted with the lived religion of the working class. The candlemaker’s presence complicates the common narrative that labor is separate from religious experience. Instead, it suggests that labor and spirituality were deeply interwoven for many. The candlemaker is bent over his work, embodying a physical engagement with the world, while the icons behind him evoke a spiritual connection to the divine. Mrkvička does not depict labor as separate or divorced from faith, but rather underscores how identity, faith, and daily life are interconnected.