Leeuwen Possibly 1915

Editor: So, this is "Leeuwen," possibly from 1915, by Bernard Willem Wierink. It's a print, featuring these stately lions under a starry sky. The cool tones give it a rather…mythical feel, I think. What leaps out at you when you look at this work? Curator: Ah, Wierink. What a talent! Mythical is spot on, though I feel something beyond just cool tones; it feels almost like a faded dream. A recollection of power, perhaps? Look how the lions are rendered—less about raw muscle, more about suggestion, presence. The simplified forms and muted colours definitely push it towards the Symbolist aesthetic, evoking mood and ideas rather than a literal depiction. Almost heraldic, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Heraldic, yes, definitely! Like a family crest, but…wilder. It also strikes me that the stars above give it a sense of timelessness, like this scene has been playing out forever. Curator: Precisely! Those tiny pinpricks of light against the blue, endlessly repeating. Now, think about the period. This is likely 1915, in the throes of World War I. What message about strength, resilience, or even a longing for stability might Wierink be trying to convey through these lions gazing into eternity? It’s a potent visual language. Editor: Wow, I hadn’t considered the war context. It does shift the piece somehow, makes it less…fantastical and more…yearning? Curator: Yearning. Beautifully put! Sometimes, art whispers what history shouts. A quiet roar of hope amidst chaos, maybe? It all depends on who’s listening. Editor: I see it differently now, thank you! It's incredible how much context can shift one's perspective. Curator: Exactly. And isn’t that the beauty of art? It shifts, it speaks, and, hopefully, it awakens something new within us. A roar turns to a meow.