Vier penningen c. 1865 - 1900

Curator: So, let’s explore this piece, “Vier penningen,” or "Four Pennies," dating roughly from 1865 to 1900, attributed to Laurens Lodewijk Kleijn, using print and textile techniques. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: I'm struck by the apparent layering of these seemingly medieval seals. The monochrome tones create this somber mood. They appear almost ghostly, like faint memories on aged fabric. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's interesting you perceive a somber mood. I immediately consider the implications of replicating and presenting these seals as "art." These weren't intended for aesthetic appreciation, but as signifiers of power, authority, and identity, primarily male in this historical context. Editor: So, by taking them out of their original context and turning them into art, Kleijn is making a statement about power? Curator: Exactly. Consider the time period – late 19th century. How might the concept of national identity be developing and relying on symbols from the past, like these seals? Were such symbols inclusive or exclusive? What role does reproducing and displaying historical artefacts play in solidifying a specific national narrative? Editor: It seems like presenting these symbols is an attempt to anchor Dutch identity, perhaps problematically glorifying certain historical periods or excluding alternative narratives and marginalising the stories of underrepresented groups. Curator: Precisely. We have to think about who gets to write history, whose stories are amplified, and how art, even in seemingly simple reproductions like this, plays a part in shaping those narratives. And by using textile as a support, Kleijn introduces the realm of domesticity and crafts traditionally associated with women. He seems to challenge our perception by asking: what if domestic life were a canvas of power? Editor: I never thought about how the textile support might change the reading of the prints. Curator: Art always gains resonance through understanding historical contexts. Editor: I see the image now as something much deeper than what I first observed.