Moeder Michel en haar kat c. 1791 - 1900

Editor: So this is "Moeder Michel en haar kat," or "Mother Michel and her cat," a print made sometime between 1791 and 1900, created by Pellerin & Cie. It looks like a kind of comic strip—a very old one! What strikes me is the simple, almost naive, style, and yet there's a clear story being told across all these little panels. What do you see in this piece, beyond the charming storybook feel? Curator: Charming indeed! It’s as if a wandering troupe of actors froze a single performance into twelve acts, and we get to hold the script *and* the stage. Look closer: do you notice how each vignette uses color to guide your eye, creating its own miniature proscenium? Editor: You're right! The colors pop and separate each scene, almost like little stage sets. Curator: Exactly! And that bold simplicity masks a sly wit. Notice how the figures are caricatured, their gestures exaggerated. It is like they are acting on the street or, say, a market square. These were aimed to provoke knowing smiles. Does the chaotic energy remind you of anything? Editor: It's got that feel of a chaotic street scene...a little like a Pieter Bruegel painting! Full of everyday life, with a hint of the absurd. Curator: Precisely! Except transported into, well, mass media! Imagine the delight in sharing these characters, scene by scene. This Pellerin & Cie… They weren’t just printers, they were purveyors of small, accessible worlds! Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way, about this as a way to mass produce narratives, making stories more accessible to a broader audience. Thanks, I'll look at these old prints with a different perspective from now on!