Eene oude leesles 1867 - 1883

This is a page from a children's book by H.M. Bremer, featuring various scenes meant to teach reading. Note the recurring motif of inversion: Figures are depicted upside down, challenging our perception. This disruption echoes ancient rituals, where reversals symbolized chaos or transformation. The world turned upside down, evoking primal fears and anxieties. We find similar inversions in alchemical imagery, suggesting the turning of lead into gold, a metaphorical journey of self-transformation. Consider also the animals: the horse that appears in multiple panels. Horses are age-old symbols of power and virility. Yet, the horse's docile portrayal here in contrast, reveals a shift in its symbolic weight. What was once associated with masculine strength evolves to a symbol of servitude. The artist engages our subconscious with these symbols. They resonate beyond the surface, tapping into a collective memory that continues its cyclical progression.