Alphabet 1 deel / Alphabet 1e partie 1866 - 1902

Editor: This is “Alphabet 1 deel/Alphabet 1e partie” dating from 1866 to 1902, created by Franciscus Antonius Beersmans. It’s a print, a colourful grid with images for each letter. The figures feel naive and somewhat whimsical. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Observing the layout, consider the formal construction. The work divides into twelve distinct cells, each a contained composition. The interplay between these individual units creates a visual rhythm. The decorative style further reinforces the concept, the simple rendering creates an almost child-like effect that is contrasted by the precision and rigid format of the alphabet. Editor: So you’re focusing on how the arrangement and style interact? I notice that despite each cell’s independence, there's a limited palette used throughout, unifying the overall image. Is that deliberate? Curator: Precisely. The careful selection and repetition of colours such as yellow, red and green serve as a crucial unifying element, creating cohesion. Furthermore, this work seems to foreshadow later experiments in color field painting. Can you identify this connection based on this arrangement of these twelve frames? Editor: That's insightful! So even though each miniature picture seems to depict a specific object or person corresponding with a letter of the alphabet, the dominant element here is color relationships? That in itself could be called the ‘subject’ of the work. Curator: Precisely, while ostensibly pedagogical in its function, the work's arrangement is fundamentally formalist. This visual device transcends mere representation. How does it change your perception of its historical intention? Editor: I see it differently now. It is a unique interpretation of the alphabet where form precedes narrative, emphasizing that sometimes the visual structure dictates the entire message, regardless of its context. Curator: Precisely, and I hope our listeners appreciate the fresh outlook on seemingly well-charted territory.