Geschiedenis van een koopman in Kramerijen c. 1902

This comic strip called ‘Geschiedenis van een koopman in Kramerijen’ by Pellerin & Cie., presents a series of sequential images telling a story, rendered with the help of lithography, a printmaking technique that is all about process. The use of flat, bright colours and bold outlines, immediately gives the piece a graphic, almost poster-like quality, but as you look closer you can see the hand of the artist at work in the details. The way the colours sometimes bleed outside the lines, for instance, lends an imperfect quality to the image, suggesting a human element in the printing process, and creating slight variations in the final product. Take the scene in the third row, second from left, where the little shopkeeper is attacked by the sword wielding child. The composition is kind of weird, isn't it? But what I love about this image is how it balances clarity and legibility with something dreamlike and absurd. Think Philip Guston or maybe Red Grooms who also share a love of narrative, colour, and bold, slightly clumsy forms. Ultimately, the piece reminds us that art is a space where storytelling and experimentation intersect, inviting us to get lost in the possibilities of imagination.