De betooverde prinses 1876 - 1900

Editor: This artwork is titled "De betooverde prinses", or "The Enchanted Princess," created sometime between 1876 and 1900. It’s a watercolor print and seems to tell a story through sequential images, almost like a comic strip. There’s something both charming and slightly unsettling about the visual narrative. What's your take on it? Curator: Unsettling is a good word. The playful Art Nouveau style certainly charms, but underneath, don’t you feel a whiff of the uncanny, perhaps like stepping into a dream slightly gone awry? It reminds me of leafing through a childhood book only to realize the characters have a sly wink in their eyes now that I’m older. Editor: Definitely! What strikes me is the depiction of animals behaving like humans—what does that mean to you? Curator: Well, anthropomorphism, assigning human traits to animals, has always been a way for us to explore aspects of ourselves from a safe distance. It’s the oldest form of character building, the ability to judge other people and also examine our place within hierarchies, customs and laws. Are those creatures mirrors reflecting our follies back at us? What's it reflecting? The absurdity and theatricality of courtly life maybe? I feel invited to consider not just what the artist wants us to see, but *why*. Editor: So it's a sort of whimsical social commentary. I was focused on the surface narrative, but I now realize the artist wants us to question the whole theatre of status. Thanks for helping me look deeper. Curator: My pleasure! Art should feel like a delicious invitation to an ever-evolving feast, don’t you think? There are always new ways to experience and feel the art with you.