Drie prenten van Jan Klaassen before 1903

Editor: So, here we have Bernard Willem Wierink's "Drie prenten van Jan Klaassen," created before 1903. It’s a print – ink and woodcut on paper, I believe – depicting three scenes, each with a different story. It's sort of like a comic strip, only a little sinister. There is something menacing about the figure in the centre scene… What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: Ah, Wierink's playful darkness. I find myself drawn to the sheer energy in the mark-making – the scratching of the ink across the block to describe, or should I say, *suggest* these figures. Almost like peering into a dimly lit theatre. Tell me, does Jan Klaassen evoke any familiar tales for you? Any Punch and Judy vibes? Editor: A bit, actually! Punch and Judy definitely crossed my mind, that sort of chaotic, slightly violent humour. It’s the way the figures are drawn, so expressive even though they’re quite simple. What kind of cultural context was surrounding an artwork like this? Curator: Precisely! You have an eye for the dramatic, dear student. These sorts of figures were common in popular entertainment; it’s a very conscious decision on Wierink's part to bring these tales from the stage and the streets into printed form. Consider the woodcut medium – what feeling do you think it evokes compared to, say, etching? Editor: Hmmm. I think the woodcut gives it a rougher, more accessible feel, which suits the subject matter perfectly. An etching might be too refined. Curator: You nailed it! This aligns wonderfully with the spirit of Jan Klaassen – not refined, but raw, and teeming with dark humor! Now, do you think knowing these images were created “before 1903” affects our interpretation? Editor: Definitely! It grounds the piece in a particular historical moment, and it speaks to the type of entertainment the audience was into at the time. Before film became big I imagine? Curator: Exactly, we're glimpsing at the pre-cinema age when entertainment looked like… this! Thanks for that astute observation. These prints offered laughter, perhaps tinged with unease, for a world on the cusp of massive change. Editor: Thank you! I didn't expect to be plunged into a history of theatre but those shadows make a lot more sense now.