Under Äppelträdet 1898

Editor: Elin Danielson-Gambogi’s “Under Äppelträdet,” or “Under the Apple Tree,” created around 1898, feels like such an intimate portrayal of girlhood, especially with its soft focus and light palette. What jumps out to you when you look at it? Curator: This work operates within a fascinating socio-historical context. The late 19th century saw a surge in plein-air painting, driven, in part, by portable paint tubes and the increasing accessibility of art education to women. This self-portrait plays into that, but consider also its public function. What statements about female artistry were Danielson-Gambogi and her contemporaries trying to make by painting themselves *en plein air*, traditionally a male-dominated space? Editor: That’s such a good point. Were these paintings meant to challenge those societal expectations? Curator: Precisely! Works like these provided visual evidence of women artists engaging directly with the world around them, refuting notions of women being confined to domestic interiors. Think about the way the artist has depicted herself. She's looking out beyond the canvas. Who is she looking at? Where does she place herself in this rural landscape, so full of symbolic visual vocabulary such as budding branches and nascent growth? Editor: It’s more subversive than I initially thought! I just saw it as a sweet portrait. Curator: Initial impressions are important! But it is also vital to understand the public role of art, its socio-political elements. How do you think contemporary audiences might have received this piece versus how we view it now? Editor: It's definitely made me consider the agency within the image itself, not just the aesthetics. It's amazing how much history is packed into a single painting! Curator: Indeed. It shows the power of art not only to reflect, but also to actively shape, cultural narratives and gender roles.