Diner du Bon Bock 1901

Curator: Right, let's dive into Thèophile Alexandre Steinlen's "Diner du Bon Bock" from 1901. It's a print, primarily using ink, graphite, and frottage on paper. The man's work certainly showcases a penchant for fantasy blended with reality. Editor: It gives off a very chaotic feeling! Look at that winged horse! Its mane is wild. And the rider, all composed and upright, completely contrasting his wild ride. There is something absurd here. Curator: That tension is crucial, I think. He's captured a really compelling social caricature within that absurdity. Notice the cityscape below – the swirling chaos of modernity grounding, yet feeding, the fantasy above. There’s a lot of social critique nestled within that fantastic scene. Editor: Absolutely. I read that winged horse as a very specific symbol – the artistic or intellectual spirit striving, but also inherently burdened by, the earthly realm. That's a theme Steinlen often revisited. The man looks as though he is fleeing to somewhere away from this dark landscape! Curator: Indeed, it reflects the Symbolist movement that was blossoming back then. What I find potent here is the almost medieval rendering of a modern setting. This push-pull generates great tension, even today. He’s essentially illustrating poetry using a horse... quite a peculiar twist if I can say so myself! Editor: The lettering that floats throughout this drawing really cements the dream-like qualities to this piece as well! But dreams, or nightmares. There’s something unsettling despite the overt fantasy. As though the wild ride cannot truly escape the shadow below. Curator: Maybe that’s why this piece resonates. Steinlen exposes something perennial: the beautiful, desperate urge to transcend a reality that relentlessly pulls us back. This has certainly changed my own mind! Editor: Mine as well, now when you bring those historical concepts to light, the work feels like such an artifact of dreams!