Kinders komt nu aan geloopen / Om 't osje-boe te koopen (...) 1725 - 1780

Editor: We're looking at "Kinders komt nu aan geloopen / Om 't osje-boe te koopen (...)," a print by Johannes (II) Kannewet, made sometime between 1725 and 1780. It features a decorated cow surrounded by an ornate border, created with engraving and pen drawing. The style feels almost like folk art. What strikes me most is the framing; it looks like something made for popular consumption. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Precisely. Think about where this engraving might have hung, and who might have been buying it. These types of prints were widely disseminated – likely not gracing the walls of aristocratic collections, but rather adorning more modest homes or public spaces. It speaks to a democratization of art, a shift away from purely elite patronage. Editor: So, you’re saying the context of display is critical? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the text accompanying the image. Do you read the cow primarily as an aesthetic object, or as a kind of advertisement? And for what? The verse refers to a small cow made of dough to buy ("osje-boe"), what can you tell me about the history and use of this “osje-boe?” Editor: Ah, it sounds like it was an image accompanying children's fairytales used for educational purposes, sold on the streets, and probably not framed, pinned on a door. Curator: Yes! The cow, rendered through the printmaking process, is participating in a larger system of commerce, moral instruction, and visual culture that extended far beyond the fine arts. The politics of imagery were in full play, even within something as seemingly innocuous as this colorful drawing of a cow. Editor: It's fascinating how the image's accessibility changes my perception of its value. Curator: And the fact that prints were often hand-colored only amplified their appeal and accessibility, contributing to their broad consumption. That simple cow speaks volumes about art's multifaceted role in society.