Hier hebt gy jonge jeugd / 't Vermaak van de kermis-vreugd 1725 - 1780

Curator: Right now, we're looking at "Hier hebt gy jonge jeugd / 't Vermaak van de kermis-vreugd," an engraving by Johannes Kannewet, created sometime between 1725 and 1780. Editor: My first impression is... orderly revelry? It's contained, almost quaint. The floral border kind of softens the marching band vibe. Curator: I see what you mean. The border definitely provides a framework for a narrative about youthful amusement during a kermis, or fair. It seems this print intends to illustrate that proverb. Editor: Hmm, is it me, or do they all seem to be eyeing something outside the frame, to the right? Perhaps there's a very appealing *stroopwafel* vendor? Curator: Likely, though such prints often served various purposes, from pure entertainment to disseminating moral or political messages. Consider that Kannewet was a bookseller, imbuing this image with commercial functions. Editor: Right, because prints were the pop-up ads of their day. Although there is something really interesting about the power dynamics on display with the flag bearer literally holding the flag, and the others, instruments of power? Or control of it anyway... The drummers flanking both sides Curator: Good point! One interpretation here may explore how youth can uphold or even reshape, societal narratives. It's worth reflecting on this artist's decisions of composition and focus in relation to 18th-century Netherlands! Editor: I love how a simple street scene can hold so much layered context and perspective. And of course, the visual interest adds the most interesting spin here. Curator: Exactly, that's why Kannewet's scene makes you contemplate more than youthful entertainment – and the possibilities beyond what he rendered! It becomes a real window into Dutch cultural ethos in flux!