Kind am Esstisch mit Katze, rechts vier Skizzen eines Katzenkopfes im Profil c. 1872 - 1874

Editor: Here we have Otto Scholderer's "Kind am Esstisch mit Katze, rechts vier Skizzen eines Katzenkopfes im Profil," made with pencil and ink on paper sometime between 1872 and 1874. It’s such a tender drawing! I love how Scholderer captures that moment of childhood curiosity and the simple connection between a child and her cat. What leaps out at you? Curator: Well, aren't we peeking into a private world? Scholderer's chosen not just to present a genre scene, but a fleeting moment, captured as if it were a half-remembered dream. Look how the sketched studies of the cat's head dance around the edges! It's as if the artist were trying to truly *know* his subject, those enigmatic feline features, and playfully invites us into his creative process. And the bowl between the girl and the cat--is it full, empty, or perhaps just a figment of shared imagination? What do you suppose they are dreaming about? Editor: That's a lovely interpretation. The cat sketches definitely add a layer of intimacy. Do you think the cat is a symbolic element? Curator: Symbolic...maybe. Or perhaps simply a beloved member of the family, as real as the scratches on the table legs that the artist hasn't shown us, but that we can almost feel. Scholderer may be playing with realism, but it feels like he wants us to go further to ask deeper questions about family and familiarity, childhood, companionship and imagination. What do you make of the simple act of sharing a meal as this tender moment is captured on paper? What does this moment mean? Editor: It's almost voyeuristic, like we’re not meant to be there, but we are anyway. And there is indeed an interesting story embedded into the artwork. Curator: Exactly! It’s this tension, this blurring of lines between observer and observed that breathes such lively into his work. I come back to this scene imagining the sound of laughter. Does Scholderer feel close to your world? Editor: It feels a world apart, yet so relatable. Like catching a glimpse of my own memories. Thanks! Curator: Thanks for sharing that special insight! It has a special flavor and taste, almost like my grandmother's kitchen!