Nocturne c. 1935 - 1943

Editor: This is Marvel Midtby’s "Nocturne," a print made sometime between 1935 and 1943. I’m immediately drawn to the contrast, the way the artist uses light and shadow to create this eerie cityscape. It feels very isolating. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Isolation is key, but I think we can unpack that a bit more. Considering this work was produced during the Great Depression and leading up to World War II, the heavy shadows and stark monochrome might reflect broader societal anxieties about economic hardship, impending conflict, and displacement. Does the lone cat add anything for you? Editor: Yes, actually. I initially saw it just as part of the cityscape, but now that you mention the societal context, the cat almost represents resilience. Even amidst urban decay, life, or at least the representation of life, persists. Curator: Precisely. And let’s consider Midtby’s involvement with the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. What does it mean to depict this scene through a government-funded program designed to provide employment to artists during a time of massive economic distress? Editor: It’s complicated, right? On one hand, it offered artists like Midtby an opportunity, but it also asked them to represent the world through a specific lens, perhaps to foster a sense of national identity or hope. Curator: Exactly. "Nocturne" perhaps presents a counternarrative, revealing an urban reality fraught with anxiety and uncertainty, while simultaneously existing as a product of the very forces trying to counter that feeling. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. The print becomes more than just a cityscape; it's a social commentary, a visual record of a specific historical moment. Curator: It’s a beautiful encapsulation of the era, raising interesting questions about the intersection of art, politics, and identity in times of crisis. Editor: Thanks. Looking at art this way really deepens the experience and highlights its complexities.