Doornroosje (de schoone slaapster) c. 1889 - 1906

This monochromatic print by Charles Burckhardt's successors presents "Doornroosje," or "Sleeping Beauty," through a series of vignettes rendered in stark black and white. The artist employs a grid-like structure, organizing the narrative into distinct, framed moments. The use of line dominates each panel, creating depth and texture through hatching and cross-hatching. The composition, with its clear sequencing, echoes the structure of a medieval tapestry or a comic strip, inviting a reading of time and causality. This arrangement compels us to consider how the artist uses the grid to compartmentalize the fairy tale, transforming its fluid narrative into a series of fixed, almost iconic images. Consider the sharp contrasts and defined borders within each frame. The rigid organization of the panels functions as a visual metaphor for the constraints placed on female characters within fairy tales, suggesting a critique of the fixed roles and narratives. This print challenges the conventional reception of the story.