Komt hij ons, met zijn muts en bellen [(...)] 1861 - 1929

Albertus Willem Sijthoff’s print, made with etching, lithography, and letterpress, features a collection of scenes intended for children. Note the figure in the upper-left panel dressed as a jester. This jester, with his cap and bells, isn’t just a figure of merriment; he’s a survival from the medieval Feast of Fools, a figure of misrule. These characters appear throughout European festivals, even in Commedia dell'Arte as Harlequin, recognizable through their costumes and playful trickery. Consider how such figures reflect a deeper human need to invert social hierarchies, providing a temporary release from societal constraints. Their presence is a manifestation of collective desires and anxieties, echoing primal urges to challenge and subvert. The survival of this kind of character reveals our enduring need for symbolic release. It underscores the cyclical nature of cultural expression, how forms reappear, transformed, yet still resonant with echoes of their past.