Muizen c. 1928 - 1930

Editor: Here we have "Muizen," or "Mice" by Otto Verhagen, dating from around 1928 to 1930. It's a pencil drawing on paper. There's a gentleness to this sketch, a quiet observation of these little creatures. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Well, immediately I’m thinking about the context in which an artist chooses to depict, and society values depicting, such a humble subject. How were animals, especially creatures often deemed pests, being represented at this time, and why? Consider the socio-economic factors. Were these studies meant for something else? Were there public health concerns relating to mice that might inflect its public perception? Editor: So you're thinking about the relationship between the imagery and broader social anxieties or scientific understandings of the time? Curator: Precisely. Were depictions of rodents, usually relegated to the margins of art, becoming more prevalent in public imagery? Was Verhagen reacting to or participating in some artistic trend tied to a rising interest in naturalism, or was it purely personal? We also have to consider the museum as a space for exhibiting art, its impact on how viewers interpret it. Editor: That makes me think about scientific illustrations too. They’re not necessarily celebrated as 'art' but hold immense value, both practically and culturally. Are you suggesting there could be a dialogue here between 'art' and something more documentary or scientific? Curator: Exactly. Think of institutions that displayed art in that period. Did museums or natural history collections shape our views of “acceptable” subjects for art? Or did the sketchbooks become like this in the context of museums that celebrated naturalist studies? That institutional lens can reshape even a simple drawing of a mouse. Editor: I never would have considered the political side of a mouse drawing. Thanks! I'll definitely keep these socio-political forces in mind when I look at other artwork. Curator: And I appreciate your insights into the overlap between art and other disciplines. That’s something to always consider in cultural narratives.