Aap op bal 1878 - 1910

Curator: Welcome. This coloured-pencil drawing, "Aap op bal," or "Monkey on Ball," by Theo van Hoytema, likely created between 1878 and 1910, is part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: Okay, my first thought? Melancholy circus. There's this real pathos in that drooping monkey in its sad little costume, teetering on a starry globe. The colour palette feels like a faded memory. Curator: The artist was part of a movement away from rigid academic styles. He aimed to bring art closer to everyday experience and express a social critique. Representations of animals were very popular in that era, especially as critiques of human behaviour. Editor: Yeah, the monkey suit screams social commentary, right? Like, who is making him perform, and for what audience? It's subtle but cuts deep. Also, there is that whole ‘world on his shoulders’ idea. Curator: Absolutely, consider also the legacy of colonialism and the use of animals, and the very construction of ‘otherness’ throughout the late 19th century in Western visual culture. How do we interpret it? As a figure of exploited labour, perhaps? Or as an outsider looking in on the glitter of a society from which it’s excluded? Editor: Both, I think. I mean, the beauty of art, isn’t it? Holding all these conflicting feelings. The little costume makes him so vulnerable. Makes me think about my own tightrope walk every day. It also kind of speaks to childhood—the melancholy that lives in wonder. Curator: Hoytema used these whimsical subjects to reflect the social tensions he saw in a rapidly changing world, often with very little judgement from the artist's hand. Editor: Well, looking at it now, there is an optimism—a hopeful note that rings true. A certain kind of innocence shines through too. The longer I look, the more possibilities spring out. It's lovely and strangely empowering. Curator: Yes, its beauty comes from holding that space open for possibilities and nuanced interpretations. Editor: Thanks, I won’t look at another circus the same way.