Fotoreproductie van een schilderij van een scene uit Der Trompeter von Säkkingen, voorstellende Maria voor een raam before 1890

Editor: So, here we have a photographic reproduction of a painting depicting a scene from Der Trompeter von Säckingen, made before 1890. The depiction of Maria before a window, with the cat and somewhat staged interior – it’s all so still, quiet. I find it very captivating and Romantic. What are your thoughts on it? Curator: Oh, it's like a forgotten melody, isn't it? This photographic print offers us a glimpse into how art disseminated itself before the age of, well, everything-is-everywhere-instantly. This is before 1890, mind you, and that date printed right beside the image refers to something very interesting…a reference to the poetry, or perhaps it dates when a painter imagined it! Photography making visual art *more* widely accessible? It kind of tickles me pink to think of how avant-garde even *realism* once was. What feelings does the romantic era’s aesthetic bring up for you? Editor: Well, the poem next to the image—that nostalgia… almost a sadness? It seems like that would be part of Romanticism. It’s so very different from our instant gratification of image culture now! Curator: Precisely! Now, think of the pre-internet image—pre-Instagram—this image, reproduced and bound with its literary companion, served not merely as decor but as a testament to how visual representation served in an experience of narrative and verse intertwined. You get it. These characters likely occupied many imaginations across a whole culture. In a sense, you have something quite akin to illustrated fan-fiction! Editor: That gives it new layers – so much more to it than just one pretty picture and poem! Thanks! Curator: Anytime! Keep your third eye peeled and let the images whisper their stories to you.