Karikatuur van Jan van der Molen 1908 - 1925

Curator: What strikes me first about this piece is its starkness. The high contrast in pen and ink—a boldness of line that feels almost confrontational. Editor: It definitely has presence! Before us is a work entitled “Karikatuur van Jan van der Molen,” a caricature rendered between 1908 and 1925. It’s signed ‘Orion,’ possibly a pseudonym for the artist, and features Jan van der Molen with quite a memorable beard and attire. Curator: Van der Molen. Barbacheveux! A fantastic full beard indeed, visually outweighing the slight smile he does not seem to express. See how the lines almost vibrate with contained energy—suggesting not just a physical likeness, but an interior psychological state. Editor: Exactly, I read it as a critique of social hierarchies. The exaggerated features—that beard, the overly formal top hat, and even the oddly infantile sandals—they mock the upper class of the period by making their signifiers of status seem ridiculous. Curator: Yes, the subversion of signs—it is a clever strategy, in that even in the absurdity, we can appreciate the continued existence and power that he is given simply for being perceived in such a ridiculous manner. I notice as well that despite the obviously unflattering depiction, the eyes hold a sharp intelligence. It makes me think the work walks the thin line between critique and respect. Editor: Perhaps it is not respect, so much as observation of the banality of the structures and expectations inherent within systems of power. Consider his cane, juxtaposed against what are either beach shoes, or possibly sport sandals, something is slightly askew, something that perhaps we do not immediately read into a first impression. It is here we see class disruption that highlights a political awareness. Curator: You’ve given me much to reconsider regarding this work, and that initial read of sharp energy and boldness may be in fact be more considered subversion, or at least both. Editor: It reveals much about a specific time, of course, but still it reminds us that art constantly negotiates power—often by exaggerating the very symbols we use to understand ourselves and others in a constant effort to keep the machine fed, the art itself and Van der Molen himself becoming something else over time.