Geschiedenis van Ezelsvel / Histoire de Peau-d'ane 1833 - 1911

Editor: Here we have "Geschiedenis van Ezelsvel / Histoire de Peau-d'ane," which roughly translates to "History of Donkey Skin." Created between 1833 and 1911 by Brepols & Dierckx Zoon, and housed at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a print, an engraving really, showing sequential scenes. It reminds me of an early comic strip! What jumps out at you? Curator: It feels like stepping into a half-remembered dream, doesn't it? Those delicate lines, weaving a narrative that both invites and obscures. Notice how each panel is like a tiny stage, characters frozen mid-gesture, leaving so much to the imagination. Makes you wonder about the unspoken dramas unfolding between each scene, right? Does it spark any particular feeling in you? Editor: There's definitely a fairytale quality to it. A bit dark, perhaps, with secrets lurking. It makes me think, what audience would this kind of narrative appeal to back then? Curator: That’s a brilliant question. Consider the era - 19th century - and the rise of print culture. These kinds of prints were hugely popular, making stories accessible to a wider audience. So, fairytales…moral tales…packaged in an easily consumable visual format. It's also a potent reflection on societal values, right? Think of the roles of women, the power dynamics... does it evoke anything specific? Editor: I didn't catch all of that on first glance. I was too focused on the images themselves. This makes me appreciate it more! Curator: Absolutely! And you know, it’s like finding a lost key to a room we didn’t even know existed! It invites us to play detective, to fill in the gaps, and, just maybe, to create our own little dramas in response.