Nieuwjaarswens voor 1938 van Gijs Lindeboom 1937

Curator: What a delightful, quirky piece. "Nieuwjaarswens voor 1938 van Gijs Lindeboom," a New Year's wish created in 1937 using ink on paper. It has such an unusual charm. What springs to mind when you see it? Editor: I immediately feel this is something quite unsettling despite the almost cartoon-like aesthetic, perhaps because such seemingly innocent images were circulating in the year before the Second World War began. It’s darkly funny, somehow. Curator: Yes, there's an odd dissonance isn't there? Lindeboom, the artist, uses a deceptively simple style – almost a child’s drawing– to convey a New Year's wish. The image depicts a man fishing, with the hook catching the Dutch phrase "veel geluk," or "good luck". Editor: It's fascinating how this simple drawing speaks to broader anxieties of the time. I wonder what 'good luck' meant in that specific context, just on the brink of the war. Curator: It’s a powerful commentary. It's also striking that it's graphic art. There’s a very precise quality to the line work, almost like an etching, that lends it a certain weightiness. Editor: Absolutely. And considering graphic art’s historic role in propaganda and political messaging, the seemingly harmless nature of this drawing feels all the more potent, highlighting that even personal gestures carry political undertones. Curator: I agree, and I also wonder, is the fish ‘good luck’ caught, or luck escaping? Editor: Interesting perspective. Thinking about the materials – ink on paper – the choice feels almost deliberate in its simplicity. It creates an accessibility that could make the message resonate more widely. Almost democratic. Curator: A democratized dystopia perhaps. Despite the possible darker readings, the whimsy gives a strange lighthearted feel. Editor: Yes, it truly encapsulates how hope and humor often persist, even in the face of looming darkness, and serves as a reminder to stay critical. Curator: Ultimately, a thought-provoking little image. I find that dichotomy of playful form and serious underlying questions genuinely intriguing. Editor: And it reminds us that the line between personal wishes and collective fate can be blurred. A powerful testament to art's capacity to capture historical anxieties.