Spotprent in Utrechtse studentenalmanak, 1842 1842

Editor: This is an etching from an 1842 Utrecht student almanac; its creator is unknown. I find the scenes rather playful. It looks like a series of inside jokes. How would you interpret it? Curator: Well, it speaks volumes about student life back then, doesn't it? Imagine yourself in those cobblestone streets. There is this winking gentleman from the top panel, and it looks as though he is catfishing using some old technology... A kind of 19th century Tinder. What do you make of the final scene –the poor student in bed having some horrible nightmare about academic failure, I imagine? Editor: You’re right. I imagine finals week would induce night terrors even back then. But the other figures look like they are part of the story, not something to inspire terror... Could this nightmare instead indicate how society’s expectations of success looms in his subconscious? Curator: Absolutely. The pressure! But maybe he’s dreaming about some grand performance? See, those aren't angry villagers, but instead the eager crowd hoping to witness his star moment on stage, perhaps at the local theater? The stage fright is as potent now as it was then. How glorious, yet terrifying, is that? Editor: Ah, so, reading into student life back then also reflects many anxieties that haven't aged a day. And looking closely at the expressions and relationships brings new layers to the artwork! Curator: Exactly. That's what makes art like this –little historical comics— so endlessly rewarding. They are slices of life that wink at us across time.