Gastvrijheid 1894 - 1959

This piece, “Gastvrijheid,” by Monogrammist G.J., is a little comic-strip-like print, with panels that tell a story, probably made using lithography. There’s a real hand-drawn feel to the marks, you can imagine the artist building up the composition bit by bit, figuring it out as they go. The palette is fairly muted – some browns and greens, nothing is too saturated. I like the way the artist uses thin washes of color to bring out the details. It makes me think about how different parts create the narrative and I'm drawn to that center panel of a brawl. It’s wild. It’s like, what started as hospitality has now devolved into total chaos. You can see the artist really went for it there – look at the energy and movement they've captured. It reminds me a bit of Hogarth's narrative scenes, but with its own folksy charm. It suggests how art is a continuous conversation, with each artist adding their own interpretation to the mix. It's a reminder that art is often more about questions than answers.