Kerstkaart voor 1937 van W.P. Ebbinge Wubben-van Hasselt 1937

Curator: This drawing, rendered in ink and pencil on paper, is entitled "Kerstkaart voor 1937 van W.P. Ebbinge Wubben-van Hasselt"—a Christmas Card from 1937. What strikes you first about this piece? Editor: Well, I am immediately drawn to the geometric simplicity and stark contrast. The use of a single color is fascinating. It looks like it uses light to evoke depth and texture rather than relying on pigment. Curator: Precisely. The card functions as a form of mass communication, consider the economics of ink and paper production during the interwar period in Europe. Each line in this work shows restraint, suggesting an economy of resources, yet there's a clear dedication to the message being conveyed. The use of geometric shapes is prominent, a star beaming a ray of light onto the Holy Family within a simple manger. Editor: It's a politicized simplification. The starkness lends itself to mass reproduction—perfect for distributing messages but stripped of almost all sentimental feeling, even given the subject matter. What do we know about Ebbinge Wubben-van Hasselt and how it relates to her other artistic activities? Was this a political or religious statement in the form of art? Curator: Ebbinge Wubben-van Hasselt seems to have occupied a rather fascinating space in Dutch society during the period, a progressive intellectual and patron of the arts, deeply embedded in artistic circles. It’s an articulation of social beliefs as much as it is about a celebration of the Christmas story. The emphasis on basic shapes removes unnecessary adornment and may show a desire for egalitarian representation and an urge towards Modernism that simplifies complexity into consumable, graphic elements. Editor: Right, the abstraction forces a focus, if that makes sense. No extraneous visual flourishes to distract the viewer. A streamlined sentiment to, hopefully, generate solidarity across economic strata at this very important socio-political moment. The lack of sentimentality, ironically, highlights the necessity for connection and unity, and that is what the message seems to be trying to convey. Curator: Looking at the materials and context really reveals a great deal about the motivations and message of Ebbinge Wubben-van Hasselt's piece. The medium informs the meaning, just like the economic constraints likely impacted the artist's final result. Editor: Agreed, the combination of art, politics, and material production give a whole new meaning to a simple Christmas card, reminding us that art never lives in a vacuum.