Verboden te baden c. 1902

Henry Hennault made this print titled 'Verboden te baden'—which I think means "Bathing Prohibited"—at some point, with an approach to mark-making that is both precise and playful, using thin lines and a limited color palette to create a storyboard-like effect. The material aspect that grabs me is the way Hennault uses color to guide your eye. Notice how the figures are mostly rendered in earth tones with muted blue and green, while the signs reading “Verboden te baden” are in stark red. The red immediately pops, emphasizing the central message of the work, but also adds a sense of tension. It is the color of an angry parent or teacher. The whole thing reminds me of a socially conscious comic strip, not unlike the kind of work that artists like William Hogarth were doing centuries earlier, in England. Both are interested in the way people, particularly young people, behave in public spaces. Ultimately, what connects these artists is that they both allow us to see the world a little differently, through their careful observations and witty commentary.