Ontwerp voor titelpagina voor: Stijn Streuvels, Reinaert de Vos, 1910 c. 1910

Editor: Here we have Bernard Willem Wierink's "Ontwerp voor titelpagina voor: Stijn Streuvels, Reinaert de Vos, 1910," a drawing in ink and pencil on paper from around 1910. The composition seems to be separated into different areas and I'm not sure I fully understand how it fits together. What's your perspective on this artwork? Curator: I see a fascinating dialogue between symbolism, geometric designs and a larger societal shift taking place during the rise of Art Nouveau, and this book cover design makes it all palpable. But more precisely, how might this cover speak to anxieties of the time, particularly the changing role of rural communities? Editor: How so? Curator: Well, "Reinaert de Vos" is a fable, a tale often used to critique power structures. Notice how Wierink uses stark lines and animal figures, seemingly pulled from rural life? Do these elements evoke the natural world, but perhaps also highlight its exploitation and marginalization as urban life grew more dominant? Editor: I see what you mean. There is an untamed aspect of the animal characters on this title page. It contrasts quite starkly with the carefully crafted geometrical framework. Curator: Exactly! Consider too that Art Nouveau itself was both celebrated and criticized, wasn't it? Some thought it democratized art, others saw it as commercial. Doesn't the design speak to both progress and apprehension that surrounded this shift? It seems fitting, as Reinaert the fox himself embodies a sort of disruptive and chaotic, yet deeply clever, figure. Editor: It’s interesting to think about the design as not just illustrating a story, but also reflecting social tensions and anxieties related to major political changes of the time. Curator: Precisely. Now consider the role of folklore in maintaining community identity. This cover asks us to ponder how those stories adapt and evolve as those communities change and are maybe, redefined.