Grondwetsherziening van 1887 1887

Editor: This drawing, "Grondwetsherziening van 1887," is by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans. It looks like it's made with pencil, maybe a study for a larger piece? It’s kind of dreamlike and airy… Almost like looking at architectural plans overlaid with historical figures. What's your take? Curator: Well, it strikes me as a sort of historical daydream, you know? Imagine history floating above the cityscape. Schmidt Crans captured that so well in this pencil sketch! Look at how he positions those figures, almost as thought bubbles hovering over the city, like memories or ideas informing the urban landscape below. Editor: That's a beautiful way to put it – "historical daydream!" I’m seeing a lot of buildings and city elements that look meticulously drawn, almost photo-realistic; is that an element of realism or something else? Curator: Absolutely! The underlying cityscapes are very real! That hyper-detailed quality creates a tension. He blends the factual – the buildings themselves – with these almost spectral figures who signify something else entirely. It gives the drawing a sort of timelessness, doesn’t it? Editor: It does. So, we have this blend of realism with this dreamlike quality; is there an aspect of time travel that relates to how Schmidt Crans views the event he commemorates in 1887? Curator: Perhaps! Schmidt Crans puts it forward that the history has permeated the city itself. The "Grondwetsherziening", and its impact on society, can be imagined to reshape our perspective and inform all decisions. By drawing inspiration from events passed, it invites its viewer to reconsider the city from a new light. Editor: I never thought about historical reflection impacting perspective; thank you! Curator: My pleasure! Art invites reflection; there are no true answers.