Konijn in hok 1899 - 1907

Editor: So here we have Jacob Mooij’s woodblock print, “Konijn in hok,” dating from around 1899 to 1907. The stark contrast and the geometric shapes give it a slightly melancholic feel. It's really striking, but I can't quite put my finger on what it's trying to say. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's the cage, isn’t it? Not just the literal cage, but the way those gilded squares behind the rabbit trap it, transform it into something almost sacred, yet utterly confined. Do you sense how the Art Nouveau influence warps what could be a simple domestic scene into a symbolist poem? Editor: I see that now, it's the lines, aren't they, sort of trapping the figure, not simply surrounding it, even those making up its body. What's with that patch of hay there in the lower right? Is there any relation, in your opinion? Curator: Good question, there's a parallel for the viewer to follow - one living being is constrained by what others force it into, and another provides. Jacob has created such contrast by suggesting there could always be some life in it all! Even a meal. What do you make of his using, in that era, of that kind of stark printing? Editor: That bold printing definitely amplifies that sense of confinement and isolation. Like he’s using the medium itself to reinforce the message. Curator: Exactly! It takes a familiar, even quaint image, and uses form to force it beyond the domestic. It is as if, if not freed, the hay might well die. Jacob wasn't trying to paint "cutesy"—he invites you to something much sadder. Editor: I see. I was so focused on the technique; I hadn't considered that thematic implication. This whole idea of a caged sacred being. Thanks for helping to see this. Curator: My pleasure! And never forget how the 'how' changes what the 'what' actually is.