Het paardespel 1875 - 1903

Curator: Welcome. Before us is “Het paardespel” or “The Horse Game”, number 50 of the Nieuwe Nederlandsche Kinderprenten (New Dutch Children’s Prints) created sometime between 1875 and 1903 by Jan de Haan. It is a lithograph print. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by its charming simplicity. The pastel color palette gives it a dreamlike quality, while the clearly defined boxes feel like opening up pages in a storybook. Curator: Indeed, the composition follows a deliberate grid pattern. Each panel functions as an individual unit, and as such is an isolated narrative. Notice the artist’s consistent use of line to define form and space. The line is used sparingly to suggest depth, focusing our attention on the characters themselves. Editor: For me, the recurring image of the horse signifies themes of power and control. These performers are literally standing on top of the beast. It is worth mentioning that throughout history the horse appears time and time again in different cultures as symbols of nobility, grace, and unbridled freedom. Curator: Precisely, by isolating the figures the artist calls our attention to the contrast in values, thus highlighting each moment within this unfolding performance. We, the viewers, find ourselves implicated. Note, if you will, the intentional flattening of pictorial space, pushing the subject matter into the foreground. Editor: What I find intriguing, is the potential for psychological interpretation. These are "children’s prints". This performance—perhaps intended as a harmless circus act— might represent something deeper for children. The various vignettes explore childhood desires and anxieties related to freedom, play, and growing up. Curator: Your interpretation lends additional insight. From a structural perspective, it’s a marvelous piece in which the arrangement generates a compelling dialogue between form and content. Editor: And perhaps even invites adults to consider their childhood dreams through visual cues, making it universally appealing regardless of the simplicity in artistic style or design.