Verboden te baden c. 1902

This hand-coloured print on paper by Henry Hennault features comic strip-style scenes with the words 'Verboden te baden' - meaning 'Bathing prohibited.' You know, looking at this, I can almost feel Hennault's hand moving across the page, capturing a series of mischievous moments. There's a real sense of humor here. The repetition of figures, the way they're caught in mid-action, it reminds me of early animation, or maybe even some of those narrative friezes from ancient art. I imagine Hennault chuckling to himself as he drew these scenes. He must have enjoyed the simple, everyday moments of life, and the little rebellions against the rules. The lines are so clean, so sure, but there's also a looseness that suggests spontaneity, as if each panel was a little experiment in storytelling. The limited palette, the almost childlike rendering – it’s like a memory, slightly faded but still vivid. This print feels like a conversation with artists like Daumier, who also found humor and pathos in the everyday. It shows how art can be a way of playing with the world, questioning it, and sharing a laugh with anyone who's willing to look.