Het ongeval met den ezel 1876 - 1893

Albert Quantin created this lithograph titled "Het ongeval met den ezel" around the turn of the century. The composition is divided into a series of vignettes that collectively narrate a mishap involving a donkey. Each scene, framed within the larger page, presents a different stage of the unfolding incident. Quantin’s use of line is particularly striking, defining the forms with a clarity that evokes the graphic style, focusing attention on the characters' expressions and gestures. The limited colour palette, with its muted tones, lends a certain quaintness to the scene. The formal structure invites us to read the artwork as a sequence of events, much like a comic strip. This emphasis on narrative progression challenges the traditional static nature of art, suggesting that meaning is derived from the interaction and sequence of images rather than a single, isolated moment. The donkey's ordeal becomes a study in social dynamics and visual storytelling.