Pamflet 1914 - 1918

This is a poster, printed by D. van Sijn & Zn, likely around 1914, and it's all about bread. Or rather, being thrifty with it. Look at the way the text is arranged, those bold pronouncements, “WEES ZUINIG OP BROOD”—“Be thrifty with bread.” It’s simple, urgent, like a call to action. The ink is printed in black, and while the paper shows its age in faded spots, there is a clarity in the text, a directness that makes it compelling even now. The language is very controlled but, the texture of the paper, the way it's aged, speaks to a more chaotic history, a time of scarcity and rationing. It reminds us that art, even in its most functional forms, carries so much more than just its literal message. Think of Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer or maybe even someone like Ed Ruscha whose work often combines bold text with everyday imagery, using words not just to communicate, but to provoke.