Am schlimmsten aber – oh! oh! oh! – _ Erging es dem guten Fidelio 1871

Editor: Here we have "Am schlimmsten aber – oh! oh! oh! – Erging es dem guten Fidelio," an ink drawing from 1871 by Wilhelm Busch. It looks like a little scene, almost a snapshot, of daily life. It strikes me as darkly comical, a little absurd even. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, Busch. Always a mischievous delight! For me, it’s that very domesticity, that utter *ordinariness*, which becomes so wonderfully warped. Notice the way he uses those frenetic lines, especially around the figures; they're almost vibrating with contained… angst? Or perhaps repressed frustration? What's *Fidelio* even doing there with that overturned container, I wonder? Does it feel sad to you? Editor: Frustration is a good word. And the little dog off to the side seems to amplify that with his barking posture. I initially saw comedy, but maybe there is some underlying sadness? The figures definitely seem isolated despite being in the same scene. Curator: Precisely! It's that tightrope walk between humor and something more profound that Busch does so brilliantly. Is it about loneliness? Societal constraints? Or just plain slapstick gone a bit sideways? I wonder if the overturned container is perhaps indicative of lost hopes? Look at those simple shapes… Do you think those are suggestive? I'm reminded of those sad clowns who draw a tear on their cheek. Editor: Now that you mention it, the dog's wildness seems more poignant and like, maybe that figure with the containers has caused some major frustration in the other figures! Curator: Exactly! That dog… Busch understood how to harness the raw emotionality of animals in contrast to human affectation. So, what’s your take-away now? Are we laughing *with* them, or at them? Editor: I'm starting to feel like we are laughing *at* them, while also feeling pity for everyone in the drawing. A bittersweetness, then! Curator: Perfectly put. Busch holds up a mirror, slightly distorted, but reflecting truths nonetheless. Always prompting a delicious little discomfort. I love that we changed perception of the drawing too, what fun!