Twee vlakken met wilde lijsterbes, vogels en bramen before 1897

Editor: Here we have “Twee vlakken met wilde lijsterbes, vogels en bramen,” or "Two panels with rowan berries, birds and blackberries," a drawing with coloured pencil and watercolor on paper from before 1897 by an anonymous artist. The muted palette gives it a somber, almost melancholic feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a subtle commentary on the complex relationship between humans and the natural world. These panels, with their almost scientific rendering of flora and fauna, strike me as a challenge to conventional power structures embedded within our systems of classification. Think about it: who decides which species are "useful" or "beautiful," and whose interests do those classifications serve? Editor: That's a compelling point. I hadn't considered it in terms of power dynamics. Curator: Exactly! And consider the positioning of the birds amidst the berries. Are they merely subjects of observation, or active agents in a larger ecosystem? I wonder if this piece might be understood as an early visual representation of ideas about interconnectedness that were starting to emerge at the time, prefiguring later ecofeminist thought. Editor: So, seeing the birds not just as birds, but as symbols within a bigger conversation about systems. Does the artist's anonymity contribute to that message in any way? Curator: Absolutely. By obscuring the artist's identity, the work refutes the art world's established emphasis on individual genius, centering instead on a communal narrative around the politics of ecology, something that affects us all collectively. Editor: This has really expanded my understanding, viewing what I thought was a quiet drawing as a statement on identity and the environment. Curator: Indeed. And I am happy I have encouraged you to critically view this work from a broader and more socio-political lens.