Wat Moeder Gans vertelt, doet u deez' plaat aanschouwen, / Hoe Asschepoetster met een' koningszoon ging trouwen; / En hoe een looze kat, door streken, fijn bedacht, / Haar armen meester heeft tot hoogen rang gebragt 1832 - 1850

Editor: This is an interesting piece. It's called "Wat Moeder Gans vertelt..." which roughly translates to "What Mother Goose Tells...", created between 1832 and 1850 by W. & J. Hissink. It's a printed work featuring multiple vignettes. I’m immediately drawn to the way it feels like a very early form of a comic strip. What do you see in this piece that might resonate with its cultural moment? Curator: The seemingly simple nature of this work belies its connection to deeply embedded cultural narratives. Notice how the artist uses a sequential arrangement, much like a storyboard. Each little scene acts as a mnemonic device. Do you recognize any of the stories being referenced? Editor: Yes, I see Cinderella and Puss in Boots. They are both there in separate vignettes. Curator: Exactly! These weren’t just whimsical drawings, they served as visual shortcuts to shared stories. These familiar tales, already circulating in the oral tradition, were being codified and disseminated through print. Consider the repetition of specific visual cues across different cultural interpretations of Cinderella, for example, or the cat's prominent boots. Editor: That's fascinating! It’s like a proto-meme, where a shared understanding amplifies the meaning. Curator: Precisely. The artist utilizes these iconic symbols as a form of cultural shorthand. It speaks to a society eager to engage with narratives that reinforce their shared values and anxieties. It invites reflection on what is considered home, family and the outside world of fortune or risk. The images help solidify a shared identity and meaning. Editor: So it's not just about the story itself, but also how the story connects people. It also gives meaning through objects like the boot of Puss and even Cinderella's hearth? I didn't appreciate that level of depth before! Curator: Absolutely. Seeing these stories as shared cultural memory woven into a visual narrative transforms our understanding.