Huisbaas zet gezin uit huis 1885 - 1909

Editor: So, this drawing, "Huisbaas zet gezin uit huis"—which translates to "Landlord evicting family"—by Jan de Waardt, created between 1885 and 1909. It's a pencil drawing, and it immediately strikes me as deeply sad. There’s so much vulnerability in the faces of the family. What symbols do you see at play here? Curator: It is poignant, isn’t it? Notice the landlord’s exaggerated figure; he’s drawn almost like a caricature of authority. His gesture seems almost theatrical, yet menacing. What’s your eye drawn to beyond the figures themselves? Editor: Hmm, I guess I noticed the child in the foreground, with the simple wooden horse. Curator: Precisely. The toy horse becomes a powerful symbol of lost innocence, of a disrupted childhood. De Waardt uses that object to elicit an emotional response. He wants us to remember that even in times of adversity, we must preserve and pass along cherished childhood values. Note also, how the window behind the family alludes to their dwindling futures. Do you see anything there that alludes to how artists portrayed scenes like this, historically? Editor: Maybe, I’m not sure, it looks pretty unique. Curator: This composition speaks to me. Eviction scenes have been common in Western art, but this rendition emphasizes emotional vulnerability. It uses the figures of everyday people as vessels of profound cultural symbolism: injustice and broken social contracts. In these historical contexts, did families have much recourse? Editor: I imagine recourse would be very unlikely; a drawing like this might serve to open conversations. This has really made me think about how simple images can carry generations of trauma and collective memory. Curator: Exactly. Art acts as a witness, and sometimes, a call to action. Even a simple drawing like this carries powerful symbolism and elicits responses that speak to who we were and what we must not forget to cherish and sustain for future generations.