Husmann 

Curator: Theodor Kittelsen's drawing, "Husmann," presents a figure amidst a dense forest landscape. It is rendered with charcoal and pencil, primarily. There's a somber mood it evokes right away. Editor: That's true; the near monochromatic palette and scale contribute to the bleakness, a tiny person walking alone between rows of dark trees under a dim sky. I think the medium used, drawing in both pencil and charcoal, becomes quite relevant in terms of labor and commodity, of Kittelsen needing a cheaper media for producing a poignant work like this. Curator: Absolutely. The materiality enhances the work's accessibility, perhaps a commentary on class and viewership, given the period’s social stratification and access to art materials. But there is also a tradition of this, Romantic landscape often incorporates individuals to create this dichotomy of nature and man, a motif found time and again across art. Editor: Precisely, and thinking about those landscapes and this piece—aren't they deeply tied to ideas of nation and belonging, of constructing identity? The solitary figure trekking through the woods in a nation then forming itself. Curator: Exactly. Consider the political landscape then, too: The romanticism in the landscapes Kittelsen offers in this drawing seems aligned with forging a sense of place and national pride. It does it well; a great emotional impact is made here. Editor: Though bleak. But you can consider it more hopefully: Despite what seems impossible darkness, the person proceeds along his own path nonetheless, leaving his own trace for a path ahead of him. That to me makes this such a striking work for thinking about social agency at the time and individual power. Curator: I concur. Kittelsen utilizes basic media in order to produce a widely influential work, offering us something to ponder still, on how we situate ourselves in material and historical moments, in nation and politics. Editor: It is that perfect combination of materials meeting larger ideas, truly capturing what a period was invested in, and struggled with.