China prentbriefkaart 'De Kaiser' c. 1900 - 1918

Alfaro Reijding created this postcard with printing techniques. The flat planes of solid black and contrasting yellow speak to the directness of the printing process, most likely a lithograph, where the image is drawn onto a stone or metal plate and then transferred to paper. This method allowed for mass production, which was essential for circulating political messages quickly and widely. The caricature of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II being honoured by the figures of John Bull, representing Britain, and Kwang Soe, representing China, underscores the political commentary embedded in this printed image. The very nature of print—its replicability and accessibility—turns the artwork into a form of popular expression. The labor involved in creating such prints was part of a larger industrial system, reflecting the intersection of art, politics, and the social context of the time, collapsing the traditional hierarchy between fine art and everyday communication.