De klimmast 1894 - 1959

This is a print called ‘De Klimmast’ by Gordinne, made with wood engraving. The series of panels show a young boy striving to climb a pole, and the print was probably part of a series of educational images popular in the Netherlands at the time. Its cultural context is a world in which children were taught about perseverance and achievement through visual stories such as this. The figure ascends a maypole-like structure, evoking pagan traditions associated with the renewal of life, springtime, and fertility. It may reference folk festivals and community celebrations. At the end, he triumphs and wins the prize. What does this say about the society in which it was made? Perhaps success is an individual and social good to be admired, while the boy is also supported in his endeavors by a close-knit community. To interpret art such as this, the historian might research the tradition of the maypole in the Netherlands. With the correct resources, we can truly appreciate the intersection of community values, traditional folk culture, and the rewards of individual effort.