Grimbert geeft Reinaert stokslagen en Reinaerts aanval op een haan 1866 - 1939

Editor: So, this is "Grimbert Gives Reinaert a Beating and Reinaert Attacks a Rooster," a watercolor drawing from around 1866 to 1939, by Bernard Willem Wierink, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. I am really struck by the narrative elements within the frame and how the artist chose to depict a well known storyline through vignettes. What's your take on it? Curator: It's interesting to see this rendered in watercolor. We are drawn to a historical moment within popular imagination. Narrative art like this thrived during a period of rising literacy and accessible print media. Think about the cultural function of these accessible images - What purpose do you think these images served for the rising middle class? Editor: Well, visually telling stories certainly makes them more accessible. Almost like early graphic novels! Curator: Exactly. And this one borrows from folk traditions, reminding viewers of shared cultural narratives. Note how Wierink frames each episode, making them self-contained and almost precious. That careful framing suggests the high value placed on folklore at the time, an idealized version of cultural identity and maybe even political ideology. The placement in a museum solidifies its value and accessibility in the public sphere. Editor: I didn’t consider the political aspects. The way the museum frames it really does influence my perspective. Curator: How so? Editor: It becomes a part of our cultural heritage, something officially sanctioned and worthy of preservation and display, a national treasure of sorts. Curator: Precisely. And those choices say a lot about the prevailing ideologies. Now I'm curious about how the narrative functions through this medium. Editor: Right, looking at this drawing I would've considered it only as the artwork itself, and not so much within the broader historical, cultural, and social contexts in which art is consumed and displayed. Thanks for helping me dig a bit deeper!