Young Girl from Mora 1903

Editor: Here we have "Young Girl from Mora," an etching by Anders Zorn from 1903, currently at the Metropolitan Museum. It’s quite small, a detailed portrait, and she almost seems… melancholy? What catches your eye about this work? Curator: Oh, it's Zorn, isn’t it? Always sneaking into the human psyche. The quick strokes, the seeming informality—it’s deceptive! For me, it’s about that "Mora" in the title. This isn’t just any girl; she's tethered to a specific place, a Swedish province, which, at the time, held onto older traditions. What does that provincial context suggest to you when you look at her expression? Editor: Perhaps a sense of being caught between worlds? The traditional and the modern? She doesn't quite meet our gaze, so maybe some reticence? Curator: Exactly! And Zorn, even though a worldly fellow, kept returning to Mora. I see that yearning, that pull in the crosshatching itself, doesn't seem like he is trying to capture her exact likeness but maybe the idea of youth on the cusp. But tell me, do you find that reading *too* romantic? Am I just projecting *my* own longing onto her? Editor: No, not at all. It makes sense. Knowing the title provides such context that wouldn't otherwise be obvious, and that helps me key into her potential apprehension and conflicted emotions. Curator: Wonderful! Art is a dialogue, and those little hints… the title, the date…they whisper secrets if we listen. Thanks for joining the conversation! Editor: My pleasure. I’ll definitely pay more attention to those whispered secrets next time!