Mensen en dieren 1848 - 1881

Curator: You know, sometimes art whispers rather than shouts, and I think that’s the case with "Mensen en dieren," or "People and Animals," a print made sometime between 1848 and 1881 by Lutkie & Cranenburg, currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: It has the feel of an early comic strip. Each panel is so simple and silly. I’m immediately struck by the absurdity. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Absurdity is a wonderful entry point! These little scenes remind me of street theatre – quick, humorous observations of everyday life exaggerated for comedic effect. Look at the vibrant, almost child-like coloring; what does that evoke for you? Editor: It makes me think of toys or maybe those hand-colored prints sold at fairs. Everything is simplified and made almost cartoonish. Curator: Exactly! And that simplicity is deliberate, wouldn’t you say? These artists aren’t striving for realism. They’re after something more immediate, more universal. They’re winking at the audience, inviting them to laugh at the foibles of human nature and perhaps their relationship with animals as helpers in their lives. What kind of social commentary do you feel is relevant in this collection of satirical works? Editor: Now that I understand a bit of the possible context of the print I can see how, rather than childish naivete, it has satire laced in the caricatures. Curator: Precisely. So much charm, such layered commentary, tucked inside such a small piece!