Vijftig gulden belooning 1894 - 1959

This curious image titled 'Vijftig gulden belooning' was made by an artist known as Monogrammist G.J., though when exactly remains a mystery. It looks like a lithograph, probably printed with a stone. I love how it's a whole story laid out in these little vignettes. The artist is playing with repetition and variation, similar to how I think about painting. Each panel is a slightly different take on the same theme. The colors are so restrained, almost faded, like they've been hanging around for a long time. But that makes them even more charming. I'm really drawn to the way the characters are rendered, with such economy of line, that one small detail of line, can communicate so much narrative detail. It reminds me of the comic drawings of artists like Guston or Hogarth, where there is a sense of satire and social observation, with a rough and ready drawing style. This piece feels like it's part of that same conversation, a reminder that art doesn't always have to be serious, it can be playful, humorous, and open to many ways of seeing.