Tijl Uilenspiegel heeft in zijn leven, / Al eel veel snakerij bedreven / Die dikwijls 't is waar, iemand lagchen doet, / Doch welke, gij kind'ren, nooit volgen moet 1827 - 1894

Curator: Look at this marvelous little engraving; it’s called "Tijl Uilenspiegel heeft in zijn leven, / Al eel veel snakerij bedreven / Die dikwijls 't is waar, iemand lagchen doet, / Doch welke, gij kind'ren, nooit volgen moet” – quite a mouthful! It was created sometime between 1827 and 1894 by M. Hemeleers-van Houter. Editor: What a wild grid of stories! Like a very early comic strip, full of pranks, but filtered through this faded, slightly melancholic lens of time. There's something haunting about seeing humor presented so distantly, like an echo of laughter from a century ago. Curator: Exactly! It showcases scenes from the life of Tijl Uilenspiegel, a trickster figure in European folklore. The print functions almost as a moral guide, illustrating his many mischievous acts. The artist chose printmaking to reach a wider audience. Note how each frame is almost a little stage set. Editor: And those repeated motifs—the pointed hat, the donkey, the occasional gold coins… They create a kind of visual rhythm, almost like reading lines of poetry. There's something compelling in how they give shape to cultural memory. It’s not just the story being told but how it's visually reiterated. Curator: The images serve a dual purpose – entertainment and moral instruction. It’s fascinating how this type of narrative artwork relies so heavily on visual symbols for widespread comprehension. It reminds me of those wonderful old storyboards where you could get lost for hours. Editor: Absolutely, but that instructional tone always gives me pause. What’s acceptable, what’s not? The line feels so blurred at times. Yet the continuous thread of these prankster archetypes shows the human love for disrupting, questioning and flouting accepted behaviours. Curator: Perhaps Hemeleers-van Houter is subtly inviting us to question authority and convention? It's a rather quaint reflection on rebellion. Editor: Yes! Though, maybe we shouldn’t encourage such subversive thoughts too loudly in this august museum... all the same, this curious print lets us sneak a playful peek into the past!