Bavarian Dancer, from the Dancing Women series (N186) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Editor: This is "Bavarian Dancer" from the Dancing Women series, made around 1889 by Wm. S. Kimball & Co., using colored pencil and print. I'm struck by the way she’s frozen in this lively pose; it feels a little… static, almost like a doll. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a layered commentary on the construction and marketing of identity. These were trade cards, right? Meant to be collected. The image flattens Bavarian identity into a consumable commodity. Editor: A commodity? How so? Curator: Think about it: this is 1889. Immigration from Europe was transforming American society, anxieties about cultural purity were peaking. These cards offered a romanticized, easily digestible version of “Bavarian-ness.” It’s about power, really, the power to define and contain cultures for profit. Notice how the dress is idealized, highlighting certain aspects while omitting others? It's a curated image designed to appeal to certain sensibilities. Who do you think these cards were marketed towards? Editor: Probably white, middle-class consumers? I hadn't thought about it that way... like a tool for shaping perceptions. Curator: Exactly! It encourages us to question what is presented, the motives behind its creation and its cultural influence. We might even consider, in the face of rising ethno-nationalism, what the role of art is today. Editor: I guess I was just looking at it as a pretty drawing, but now I see so much more. Thanks for pointing out the issues of representation. Curator: It is in looking closer at that drawing, we can recognize those powerful themes of capitalism, ethnic stereotype, and idealized standards. These pieces encourage us to view art through an intersectional lens.