De buitenkermis 1800 - 1833

Curator: This print, entitled "De Buitenkermis" or "The Outside Fair," dates to sometime between 1800 and 1833 and is held in the Rijksmuseum. Philippus Jacobus Brepols worked with etching techniques to bring it to life. Editor: My first impression is a collection of little worlds, almost like peering through windows into individual stories. It feels like a visual narrative of early 19th-century entertainment. Curator: Indeed! The composition, arranged in a grid of vignettes, echoes the comic strips that were becoming popular, using both image and text to convey scenes from a fair. The organization provides a framework for societal critique through these little dramas. Editor: And there's a naiveté in the artistic style that hints at folk art traditions. You see recurring symbols of trade, play, and display across cultures—the performing monkey, the strongman—each carries layered connotations depending on who is looking at them, when, and why. Curator: Absolutely. The print served as a kind of mass media, spreading visual culture. These small narratives offered a public service—sharing current attitudes, fears, or hopes, while disseminating images for a largely non-literate audience. The figures may feel flat but are filled with social commentary about their era. Editor: What strikes me is the seeming emphasis on spectacles—not always ethical or respectful to animals or societal others, from today’s standards at least. Even the "fun" carries an underlying current of exploitation, which begs us to investigate more closely. Curator: That point underlines a central aspect about understanding art's public role, doesn't it? Art is more than just the immediate reaction—we want to unpack social context alongside its imagery to build out comprehensive interpretations. Editor: It’s been fascinating diving into "De Buitenkermis" today. So much narrative is captured with those miniature scenes. Curator: Yes, I feel I've been transported back to the 19th century and better understand the public imagination of the time. Thank you.