Blauwbaard c. 1822 - 1849

Curator: At first glance, this seems to tell a story through its sequential frames, reminiscent of early comics. There's something haunting in its simplicity. Editor: This is "Blauwbaard" a woodcut by Jan de (II) Lange, created sometime between 1822 and 1849. It’s part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection. Immediately, the repetitive form hints at mass production and a populist dissemination of the depicted subject, which appears to me as gruesome. Curator: Absolutely. "Blauwbaard," or Bluebeard, the character is instantly recognizable—a grim tale. The visual choices solidify the narrative and what Bluebeard represents. The print uses multiple frames in sequence, but in each one we find the same looming narrative and consistent villain figure in various forms: proposal, abduction, or in pursuit, with murder always nearby. Editor: And consider that as a woodcut, it involved a process requiring time, skill, and labor, challenging assumptions about what constitutes 'high art'. The materials used—the woodblock, the paper, the ink—are also revealing. Did the paper contain certain fibers, imparting characteristics in reception or legibility? Was the ink readily available or from an outside source? All clues as to how and why this print existed. It reminds me that this probably adorned the walls and cabinets of many homes during that time. Curator: And the colors – muted, almost unsettling, and of the era! The color choices lend an antique-like quality that also evoke a distinct feeling in the story of secrets and repressed truth, of the violence that unfolds. It acts as a social document that reveals cultural anxieties around marriage and gender. Editor: Indeed. This print is so evocative due to the method in which it could easily communicate warnings, a method of distribution, and a physical document, or residue, of an unfolding folk legend. This definitely gives you an entire historical feeling. Curator: The woodcut, far from just depicting the Bluebeard story, becomes part of its enduring symbolic weight. Thank you! Editor: Thank you, and a valuable exercise to ponder labor, symbolism, process and material to enrich our perception of the artwork.