Tyl Uilenspiegel / Ulenspiegel 1833 - 1911

This undated print by Brepols & Dierckx zoon depicts scenes from the life of Tyl Ulenspiegel. As a folkloric character, Tyl embodies the spirit of rebellion against social norms. Prints like this were popular in 19th-century Europe, particularly in regions with strong oral traditions of folk tales. The narrative imagery draws on archetypes of the trickster figure found across cultures, one who exposes the hypocrisy of authority through humor and cunning. The choice of printmaking as a medium suggests a deliberate effort to reach a wide audience, bypassing the traditional gatekeepers of art. The format of the print with its serial arrangement of images points to the rise of mass media and the democratization of culture. We, as historians, can use sources such as popular literature, chapbooks, and social commentaries to better understand the appeal of figures like Tyl Ulenspiegel in specific historical moments. The meaning of this image, therefore, is inseparable from its social and institutional context.