En taler

Adolph Kittendorff created this artwork, "En taler," using engraving. Kittendorff was a lithographer and photographer during the 19th century, so he was aware of the newest techniques of image production. Here we see a scene from a bourgeois pastime, a dinner party. The central figure makes a grand gesture as if giving a toast or a speech. The surrounding guests are each caught in their own emotional world. One woman leans on her hand, seemingly bored, while another looks on at the speaker with a hint of a smile. We can consider the gendered implications here, are women expected to politely listen as men speak? Perhaps Kittendorff is suggesting a quiet critique through the body language of the figures he depicts. We are left wondering about what is being said, and perhaps more importantly, who is being excluded from the conversation.