Affiche bij de schenking van het 'Monument de la Hollande amie' aan Verdun 1919

This 1919 poster by Huib Luns at the Rijksmuseum is all soft earth tones, like a sepia photograph. The image feels both monumental and intimate, a delicate rendering of a grand gesture—the dedication of a monument from the Netherlands to France. I imagine Luns carefully layering his strokes, searching for the right balance between text and image, between national pride and personal feeling. What was it like to be making this image, so soon after the end of the Great War? Did Luns feel a sense of hope, or perhaps a lingering grief? Look at the angel figure, poised between 1914 and 1918, as if bridging time itself. It reminds me of Rodin’s sculptures, full of emotion and movement. This work makes me think about the relationship between nations, and how art can express solidarity and shared humanity in times of crisis. It’s like Luns is saying: we see you, we stand with you, and we remember.