Wat moet gij worden 1850 - 1881

Editor: This is "Wat moet gij worden" by Dirk Noothoven van Goor, made sometime between 1850 and 1881. It looks like a print with different sketches, almost like a comic strip, each showing a person in a different profession. What strikes me is how each figure is presented within its own little frame. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This print offers itself up for formal analysis due to its graphic quality. Each individual frame represents a microcosm. Consider how each miniature stage uses line, form, and composition. What can we understand from this use? Editor: Well, the consistent use of line creates a sense of unity across the different vignettes, despite showing disparate subjects. It reminds me of earlier book illustrations, almost, except this feels more economical in its design and presentation. Does that mean anything? Curator: Precisely. And that is important to consider; the deliberate choice of this stripped-back composition focuses our gaze purely on the characters and their actions. Are we distracted? No. Each trade or occupation is carefully illustrated to foreground labor itself. Are they romanticized, would you say? Editor: Not really, the rendering is too matter-of-fact. They're just shown doing what they do, without idealization. It is very… direct. Curator: Agreed. Now, think about that directness and lack of adornment relative to the historical context of its making, its design. Where might one position the image on a spectrum, conceptually? Editor: That’s a good question! It sits more like a social commentary than just an occupational guide for children. It feels almost… critical. Curator: Indeed. Paying close attention to such graphic presentation brings us into closer proximity with Noothoven van Goor’s social considerations. Editor: I'll certainly look closer at the compositional aspects of similar works now! Thanks!