Nieuw letter-spel voor kleine kinderen / Nouveau jeu d'animaux pour des petits enfans 1851 - 1880

Editor: This delightful print, "Nieuw letter-spel voor kleine kinderen," by J.A. Aldag, likely made between 1851 and 1880, uses etching to present an animal alphabet. It's so charming, almost like a precursor to modern children's books. I’m curious, what visual stories or symbols do you see playing out here? Curator: I’m drawn to the choice of animals and how they're paired with letters. Each animal carries cultural baggage; it acts as a symbol with an enduring presence across generations. Consider the lion for 'L,' or the wolf for 'W.' What meanings would these animals conjure for children of that era, or even for us today? Editor: Well, a lion symbolizes royalty, maybe bravery. A wolf, perhaps, cunning or danger. Curator: Precisely. Aldag's selection becomes a mirror reflecting evolving social attitudes. It invites us to consider if the images uphold or challenge these historical views of the animal kingdom and humankind. Think of this piece as cultural memory expressed through imagery. Are the images faithful representations of the animal itself, or something more? Editor: More than just the animal, it's about what that animal represents to people and cultures! It's like a visual Rosetta Stone of 19th-century values embedded in a child’s alphabet. Curator: Exactly. We decipher more than mere words. We excavate emotions, ethics, and perceptions that time imprints onto these symbols. We glimpse the cultural DNA handed down through generations. Editor: It’s interesting how something intended to teach children letters inadvertently reveals the deeper layers of societal thinking. It definitely enriches the artwork for me! Curator: It does for me as well. Every element from the composition to the animal choices functions as a vehicle through which humans construct and negotiate their identity and beliefs.