Nieuw letterspel voor kinderen / Nouveau jeu d'alphabet pour les enfants 1833 - 1911

Editor: Here we have "Nieuw letterspel voor kinderen / Nouveau jeu d'alphabet pour les enfants" by Brepols & Dierckx zoon, dating sometime between 1833 and 1911. It's a print, using etching and drawing techniques. There's a certain formality in its presentation of the alphabet, but what do you make of this seemingly simple piece, considering it's meant for children? Curator: Well, on the surface, it appears straightforward: a classic A-to-Z illustrated primer, right? But let’s play a game… Instead of passively reading it, let's *feel* it. Feel the almost stilted poses of those animals, caught between observation and idealization. Does it strike you that they feel a bit * caged* by their individual frames? What does it reveal about 19th-century attitudes toward education? Editor: Caged… I hadn’t considered that. Maybe education was more about imposing order, even on the natural world. So, these aren’t just cute animals, but symbols of a structured way of thinking? Curator: Precisely! The *choice* of animals too…the rather ordinary goose and sheep beside a wolf and crocodile.. Is that reflecting the everyday world or is something else afoot, you wonder? I suspect our 'J' image has an unsettling story to tell also. Does this exercise tell us a hidden secret perhaps? Editor: So much for a simple alphabet! I'm seeing layers I didn't even imagine. Thanks! Curator: It's not about answering every question, you know! Rather, to nurture curiosity and start asking *better* questions. Now, aren't you a tiny bit curious about who Jekko Jocco actually was?!