Vos (Reinaert) en das (Grimbeert) 1910

Editor: This is "Vos (Reinaert) en das (Grimbeert)", a drawing made with pen and watercolour on paper around 1910 by Bernard Willem Wierink. The style feels like Art Nouveau meeting folk art, maybe with a touch of symbolism too? The scene seems kind of tense. What do you make of it? Curator: Tense is a good word for it. You know, it whispers of ancient stories and moral lessons dressed up in animal skins. Reynard the Fox is a classic trickster figure, and here he's face-to-face with Grimbert the Badger, known for his wisdom. This illustration makes me think of those age-old fables where animals behave like humans, revealing our own silly foibles and cunning. It feels allegorical – doesn’t it spark a question about honesty and deception? Editor: Definitely. It’s like a political cartoon from back then. The fox looks guilty; almost too eager in its body language to look innocent. So the animals stand in for human failings? Curator: Precisely! Think about what qualities we associate with foxes and badgers. Cunning and wisdom, right? The artist plays with these expectations. And consider that surrounding text—likely some medieval fable itself. I’m curious—what did you glean from it? Does it illuminate or muddy the scene for you? Editor: It highlights the didactic nature. That combination of visual and text doubles down on that feeling. I see now the visual style reinforces the storytelling aspect, which really deepens its cultural value, I think. Curator: Agreed! A lovely collision of text, image, and enduring human folly, isn't it? Always fresh.