Jongens wilt u gaan verkloeken / Leeft Samuëls en koninks boeken. / Daar in werd u gemaakt bekent / Wat af-gedrukt staat in dees prent 1725 - 1780

Curator: Isn’t it captivating how art from centuries ago can still spark our curiosity today? Editor: Absolutely. This is a woodcut and engraving print by Johannes (II) Kannewet from the Dutch Golden Age, dating roughly from 1725 to 1780. Its title is quite a mouthful, "Jongens wilt u gaan verkloeken / Leeft Samuëls en koninks boeken. / Daar in werd u gemaakt bekent / Wat af-gedrukt staat in dees prent”. At first glance, it looks like a comic strip telling some kind of historical or biblical story. How would you interpret this work? Curator: It's like a visual encyclopedia, each frame a snippet of a larger narrative, a history lesson etched in ink! The slight coloring suggests a later addition, maybe someone trying to make these stories jump off the page a bit more? Do you feel these separate vignettes serve as snapshots of a singular epic? Editor: Yes, I see them almost as flashcards of bible stories! They seem intent on delivering a lesson or moral point. Given it says something about ‘Samuels and Kings Books' are they illustrations FROM these stories? Curator: Exactly! What I find fascinating is how accessible this was meant to be. The artist wasn’t painting for a royal court but instead using the affordable medium of printmaking. Mass media didn't start recently, it’s got some pretty old roots! Editor: It is so cool seeing that! This gives me a new perspective to this form and historical significance. I appreciate how you illuminated the art and history within.