Nieuw Arlequin spel 1848 - 1881

Curator: Well, here we have "Nieuw Arlequin spel," which roughly translates to "New Harlequin Game." It's an engraving dating from 1848 to 1881 by Lutkie & Cranenburg, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by its playful, slightly off-kilter energy! It feels like a stage set in disarray, with this harlequin figure smack-dab in the center. It’s like, where does my eye even land first? All these shapes fighting for my attention! Curator: Indeed, the composition has a fascinating asymmetry. Note how the numerals are arranged in this somewhat haphazard vertical cascade on either side of the harlequin. The numbers run from two to six on the left, eight to twelve on the right, with our central character, oddly, displaying seven, as though he were between worlds. This seems designed for interaction—a children's game perhaps? Editor: It's like a strange, surreal board game illustration—sort of innocent, but also hinting at something slightly unsettling underneath all the color and quirky shapes, like a children's book gone dark. Curator: And consider the harlequin's costume, those diamond-shaped patches are executed with striking chromatic contrast in shades of yellow, blue, red, and white which, formalistically, seem to reference earlier traditions of the "arlequin" character from Commedia dell'Arte and other carnival figures dating as far back as Ancient Greek comedic drama, all wrapped into one colorful figure, so he signifies both the everyday and something otherworldly all at once! Editor: Totally! It makes me think about identity, you know? How we perform for others, putting on these colorful, patchwork versions of ourselves to entertain, but always with that undercurrent of something sad or maybe even lost. Curator: Precisely, a poignant and visually rich commentary! Editor: A bittersweet reminder that even games can hint at bigger, more complex emotional realities.