The Guardian of the Gate 1900

Curator: Here we have William Wallace Denslow's "The Guardian of the Gate," a drawing from 1900 rendered as a print. The flat color scheme is immediately striking. Editor: Yes, the first thing that jumps out is that intense, almost sickly green. It’s undeniably whimsical, reminiscent of illustrations in children's books. It also gives it a certain antique feel; its simplicity is part of its charm. Curator: Denslow was indeed known for his illustrations, particularly his work in the first edition of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". He brings a cartoonish and caricature-like aesthetic, drawing deeply from symbolist themes. The gatekeeper is rather eccentric and cartoon-like, carrying a flag with a key. Above him on a background are 4 symbols resembling suns. Editor: Symbolism for Denslow was clearly about making the imagery readily digestible for mass consumption. It’s almost as if he anticipated the need for immediate legibility in a world saturated with images. The figure with his absurd outfit certainly has a comic appeal. The way he used print here makes this image appear reproduced but in a positive sense: its availability of the images is a feature. Curator: Notice also the motif of shining circular lights emanating around the image. The shining quality certainly ties the work together visually, almost binding its different elements together into a unified expression. In many respects, there's also a slightly subversive aspect, given his involvement in advertising and commercial art during that period. The visual syntax suggests not just fantasy but something connected to everyday, mass culture. Editor: And doesn't this piece exemplify how illustrations, through printing, entered into a public life quite distinctly from painting or sculpture. We often view this type of imagery as merely support for a text, when in fact it also actively creates cultural connections with an image's readership. Denslow was acutely aware of how art could enter everyday life through popular books, postcards and newspapers. Curator: The gatekeeper becomes, in that sense, not merely a character but an embodiment of the image culture taking root at the turn of the century. It’s the perfect mix of commerce and creativity, and fantasy and the social imaginary. Editor: Absolutely, and in viewing this piece, we glimpse a formative moment where art sought, self-consciously and perhaps playfully, to reflect and engage the popular psyche.