Ontleend uit de ongewijde geschiedenis 1843

Editor: This is "Ontleend uit de ongewijde geschiedenis," an engraving by Jan Schuitemaker from 1843. It feels almost like a storyboard, with these four vignettes and their accompanying text. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: It's fascinating how Schuitemaker distills complex narratives into these small, almost emblematic scenes. Look at the Trojan Horse: a symbol of deception and hidden threat. Then the scene of the shoemaker…what stories resonate through it? Editor: I don’t know the shoemaker story… I only know the Trojan horse one! Curator: That's the power of symbols. They tap into a shared cultural memory. Think of the shoemaker image as representative of other craftspersons…it carries a memory that reveals insights to certain truths. In contrast, look at the image titled, “I am not here to catch flies…” what does this tell us about appearances, versus reality? Editor: It looks like the image tells of a Roman standing next to an open window… almost as if this represents how power is not always where one seeks it. Curator: Exactly. Each of these scenes, pulled from ‘ungrounded history,’ as the title suggests, works as a proverb, embedding cultural values and warnings. Schuitemaker utilizes familiar images as access points to enduring life lessons and universal struggles. And, this form of memory is continuously shared by multiple societies. What about this resonates with you most? Editor: How accessible this feels! Like a visual primer on morality. Seeing familiar stories juxtaposed in new ways offers deeper consideration of both. Curator: I agree! It makes me realize that images truly allow these stories, beliefs, and even superstitions, to travel through time.