Nieuw prentkundig ABC voor lieve kinderen, met toepasselyke versjes 1856 - 1900

This alphabet print for children was likely made in the 1800s by an artist known only as Monogrammist JZ. Its neat arrangement of images and text provides an insight into how education harnessed visual culture. The layout is structured into a grid. Each letter is paired with an image, reflecting a concern with order and categorization. Notice how the artist’s engraving technique creates varied textures and tonal contrasts. This provides visual interest, inviting closer inspection. However, the images themselves introduce ambiguity. While seemingly straightforward, the selection of subjects – from a monkey ('Aap') to a magician ('Goochelaar') – presents a mix of the familiar and the exotic. This juxtaposition complicates any simple reading of the images as merely illustrative aids. Consider how the print engages with structuralist ideas about language and representation. The alphabet serves as a foundational structure, yet the content undermines fixed meanings. This tension highlights how visual culture participates in shaping understanding, even while questioning its stability.