Job en Fortunatus c. 1902

This is a print called Job en Fortunatus by Pellerin & Cie, but without a date, so it's hard to know exactly when it was made. It's a whole bunch of scenes laid out in little squares, telling a story, maybe even two. The colors are flat and kind of pale, like a memory, and they’re all neatly contained within these simple outlines. I find myself focusing on the little patch of color in the third scene on the top row, where Fortunatus is with the lions. It feels like a simple gesture, but it brings a liveliness to the whole scene. There is something about the flatness of the color combined with the intricacy of the line work that reminds me of some early cartoons, or even some folk art traditions. I see a relationship between this piece and the work of someone like Emil Nolde, who was also interested in folk art, and who used strong, expressive colors to convey deep emotion. But unlike Nolde, who goes for the jugular, this is more like a whisper. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t have to shout to be heard. Sometimes, the quietest voices leave the deepest impression.