Heimkehr (Homecoming) 1897

Curator: Here we have "Heimkehr," or "Homecoming," a print made in 1897 by Leopold von Kalckreuth. Editor: My immediate response is one of melancholy, it’s shrouded in a rather unsettling darkness, despite the lantern. I feel this resonates with how women particularly experienced these returns. Curator: It's fascinating you mention the unsettling aspect, considering Kalckreuth's personal life. The print certainly fits within broader German Expressionist interests in interiority, intimacy, and how this domesticity intersected with class and gender structures. Editor: How so? Expand on how that informs the context of the era and the representation of the female figure. Curator: Well, at the time, Germany saw rapid industrialization which transformed social relationships, and this era’s understanding of the family dynamic saw immense transformation. I would posit the return is maybe not always celebratory. The female figure merges into the background here, her presence dimmed. Editor: Yes, and the artist perhaps unwittingly touches upon how home can also be a site of domestic oppression. Are they embracing? Is she resigned? This print almost becomes a site of resistance in how it implicitly questions celebratory ‘homecoming’ narratives, the ones rooted in nationalism and gendered expectations. Curator: Absolutely. Considering the burgeoning feminist movements happening at the time, the figure carrying the lantern—presumably the man—takes on further symbolic weight, no? This isn't just about returning home, but about patriarchal structures of guidance and control, illuminating a path women had little agency in forging themselves. Editor: I find it so compelling how even something seemingly innocuous, like a homecoming scene, can be so rich with socio-political meaning. Thank you. Curator: The politics of the image is sometimes very subtle. Thank you for bringing forth your sensitivity to this piece!