Aus Koenig Friedrichs Zeit: Schwerin 1886

Curator: This is Eduard Kretzschmar’s print, "Aus Koenig Friedrichs Zeit: Schwerin," a piece that evokes the era of King Frederick. It’s a work held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has such a formal stiffness to it, doesn't it? The figure’s pose, the somewhat severe rendering... It speaks of a rigid social order. Curator: Kretzschmar, who lived from 1807 to 1858, was working in a period grappling with evolving national identities. Prints like this often served a function in constructing historical narratives. Editor: Absolutely, and notice how the subject is positioned with the flag. The print seems to reinforce a particular vision of leadership and military might. Curator: Indeed, it invites us to consider how historical figures are presented, and perhaps even mythologized, through art. Editor: Ultimately, this image prompts us to reflect on how power, particularly masculine power, is visualized and perpetuated in cultural memory.