Jule- og nytårskort 1943

Curator: This is a print by Axel Hou, created in 1943. It's called "Jule- og nytårskort," which translates to "Christmas and New Year's Card." He produced it using etching techniques. Editor: The first impression is stark. The monochromatic palette and the turbulent waters create a palpable sense of struggle. The textures achieved through etching are really quite compelling; they draw me in close. Curator: It is rather affecting, isn't it? The turbulent water really emphasizes that. Hou clearly understands the symbolic weight of this biblical scene, where Jesus rescues Peter from drowning. It's a potent image of faith and divine intervention, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely. And it's not just the divine narrative. Think about the production of this small print in 1943. Denmark was under Nazi occupation. It suggests to me the quiet persistence of hope, printed meticulously at home, maybe. This little card becomes an act of defiance, an insistence on spiritual and cultural continuity. Curator: Precisely! We see visual cues harking back to medieval art, in the formal, almost stylized treatment of the figures. And you can see those subtle marks, they are a reminder of labor-intensive creation. That contrast between the message of hope and the oppressive context of its making adds so much richness, I believe. Editor: Indeed. That stark contrast truly illuminates the work's emotional core, doesn't it? It speaks to me about perseverance amidst adversity, faith as a tangible lifeline, a story etched into being through meticulous, material work. Curator: It's quite fascinating how much meaning Hou packed into this small, personal card. Editor: It makes you consider the material conditions of the print, from the paper to the ink, transformed through craft into symbolic currency of hope during bleak times.