November 1849

Curator: We’re looking at “November,” an engraving made by Friedrich Robert Prinz in 1849. It’s a fascinating miniature print. Editor: It has the quality of something very aged, like a newspaper clipping, fragile. You almost feel like it could crumble to the touch. Curator: Absolutely. Its layout, broken into distinct vignettes, evokes a historical timeline, a chronicle of specific dates. The style harkens back further than 1849. What resonates most with you? Editor: The image at the top showing animals being butchered. The crude cross beam. The limp body of an animal hangs, but look at the expressions of the group that appears to mourn or reflect after such butchering; all dressed in dark robes. And down lower, figures dance and mingle—a complete contrast. Curator: The contrasts are quite potent. November encapsulates, in compressed form, societal reflections on mortality. Editor: How so? Curator: Each scene commemorates a specific historical event, as revealed by the textual additions. November 2nd, 1671 is associated with mourning empty vessels. November 6th, 1650, refers to the death of Prince Willem II. November 13th is alluding to religious schism. And these snippets are visually yoked together, revealing cultural memory through images of governance, industry, spirituality and mortality. The dance likely shows life carries on… Editor: It strikes me as dark in its commentary on governance and belief; both come across here as temporary at best. All material efforts toward belief and power dissolve into the nothingness suggested by death, emptiness and division. Curator: It is quite stark. Though miniature in scale, “November” resonates with layered reflections on life, death, belief and temporal powers, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Indeed. It gives us a grim but grounding lens on the cyclical nature of history, material consumption, governance and personal convictions.