An Infant Asleep in His Crib 1848

Editor: Here we have Adolph Menzel's "An Infant Asleep in His Crib," created in 1848 using pastels. It's such a tender scene; you can almost feel the stillness of the room. What are your thoughts on this intimate portrayal? Curator: Considering Menzel’s later social realism, it’s vital to understand the context of pastel as a domestic medium. In 1848, revolution brewed across Europe, yet here's a privileged vision of idealized domesticity rendered in readily available, portable materials. Was pastel then a quiet act of resistance against monumental, public art, suggesting a re-centering around the value of the domestic? Editor: That's a fascinating way to consider it. So, the *choice* of materials has a statement of its own to make about where the artist places value. I see how the "portable" nature of the material informs this perspective too! Curator: Exactly! It prompts a consideration of *who* consumes such art. Would the pastel medium lend itself to middle class consumers over the wealthy? And, how does Menzel’s rendering of fabric and linen - common material then - reflect a focus on the material conditions of infant care? The rendering is beautiful in itself, but the chosen media may point to how the scene itself is a constructed reality. Editor: That makes you think about the whole art market in this context. Considering his material choices adds such an amazing layer to understanding Menzel's vision. I'll never look at pastel the same way. Curator: Indeed. And the beauty lies precisely in these considerations of what is, on the surface, just an innocent and gentle depiction.