De tamboer-majoor c. 1902

This lithograph titled, ‘De tamboer-majoor,’ was made by Pellerin & Cie, though we don’t know exactly when. It’s a riot of naive storytelling, laid out like a comic strip with a limited palette. I love the flatness of the colors, the solid blocks of red and yellow and blue, which remind me of early cartoons and the process of printing. Each scene is like a little stage set, each with a peculiar logic. Take the panel where the guy is painting a house, peering in to check his work. Or the one with the guy who looks like he's tickling a giraffe, a tiny giraffe! Each scene feels both considered and spontaneous, like the artist was just trying to get the idea out as quickly as possible, capturing the energy of a thought. This reminds me of work by James Ensor, another European artist who embraced the weird and grotesque and reveled in the freedom of imagination. There’s no right or wrong way to read this, only a delightful invitation to look closer and wonder.