De verkeerde wereld 1834 - 1842

Editor: Here we have “De verkeerde wereld,” or "The Wrong World," an engraving made sometime between 1834 and 1842 by Delhuvenne & Co. Wellens. It reminds me of a slightly unsettling, folksy comic strip. There's a dreamlike quality to seeing the world turned upside down like this. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: It feels like stepping into a topsy-turvy fairytale, doesn't it? This is folk art that reflects the absurdities of the everyday. Notice how the engraver depicts animals behaving as humans, and vice versa. It is romanticism but make it comical. Each little scene has a life of its own. How do you think these prints were received when they were first released? Did people take it as simple comic relief? Editor: That's a great question. With all the references to reversed roles, I imagine some people at the time read some political satire into it as well. Almost like social commentary hidden within something light-hearted. Curator: Absolutely! And the "wrong world" idea gives space for imagination to run wild, and maybe gently prod at societal norms. Prints like these, made accessible to a wider audience, spread ideas and social critiques, using humor as its delivery system. It’s really quite subversive. But do you think the humor still lands today, or do we need to understand 19th-century Belgian culture? Editor: Well, it’s definitely a reminder that humour changes across generations. I suppose to really ‘get it’, some historical awareness would definitely add an extra layer of appreciation. It gives a glimpse of how people found both entertainment and maybe a little bit of truth about themselves back then. Curator: It definitely does, and seeing that link between past and present, now *that’s* what makes wandering around a museum worth every minute.