Mormonerne 1880s

Editor: Right, let’s talk about “Mormonerne” from the 1880s by Adolph Kittendorff. It's a print – a lithograph or drawing – depicting what seems like a family gathering. I'm struck by the light in this image; it almost feels staged, but not in a bad way. What’s your take on the story it seems to be telling? Curator: Oh, absolutely. It’s less a fly-on-the-wall moment and more of a carefully constructed… tableau, wouldn't you say? I see it as a glimpse into a specific social narrative. The clothing, the posture, even the expressions, are clues to decoding a certain chapter in cultural history, maybe a quiet rebellion happening within those walls? Or, maybe a moment of self-reflection is frozen forever… Who do you think these figures might be in relation to one another? Editor: Good point about a quiet rebellion. Maybe. I see some people are gathered reading in the background, as if studying scripture while the foreground seems a little more…posed. Almost staged in the way academic art of the time was inclined. But then why capture this seemingly intimate setting? Curator: The 1880s were a hotbed for social commentary in art. Perhaps Kittendorff wanted to capture something nascent, on the cusp of something big. The print, with its delicate lines, captures the kind of careful observation you often find when people are at once curious and cautious. It’s like a captured memory, almost precious. What emotional register would you say it strikes? Editor: Definitely a sense of intimacy, despite the potential for “commentary” and the staging of the print. And you know, I initially thought “academic art” when I saw it, but the realism almost contradicts that. Now I see a strange in-between that I really appreciate. Thanks for that perspective! Curator: And thank you, for helping me consider Kittendorff with new eyes. Perhaps the artist, like us now, found something beautifully complex in that intersection.