Het Nieuw Arlequinspel (N. 52) Le Nouveau Jeu d'Arlequin 1870 - 1880

Editor: This lithograph, "Het Nieuw Arlequinspel," or "The New Harlequin Game," was printed sometime between 1870 and 1880. I see a harlequin figure surrounded by numbers and decorative foliage. It's quite striking with its folk-art feel and brings to mind games and playful performances. What symbols do you see present here? Curator: The Harlequin figure, of course, is laden with symbolism. He's traditionally a comic servant character originating from the Italian commedia dell'arte. The diamond pattern of his costume, repeated here, signifies both his fragmented nature and his connection to the material world – think of the saying, "diamonds in the rough." Does his tilted hat remind you of a fool's cap? What might that imply? Editor: Ah, yes, the hat... it almost suggests a carefree or perhaps naive persona, despite the sharp geometrical patterns. The numbers surrounding him – are they part of a game or some other system of symbols? Curator: Exactly! Notice how the numbers frame him in a cyclical way, almost like the signs of the Zodiac or playing cards. Do they denote luck, fortune, destiny perhaps? Numbers can signify much in folk art. Also, look closely at the empty shield-like form above the Harlequin – an empty signifier waiting to be filled with meaning, almost inviting us to complete the picture, and by extension, participate in the ‘game.’ Editor: So, the artwork isn’t just a simple representation, but rather a tapestry of cultural memory and visual cues intended to spark thought about the ever-shifting roles we all play? Curator: Precisely. It is this interplay between image and the cultural codes that unlocks the art's richness and helps us access the collective consciousness.