Kaartspel. / Nr. 2. / Ruiten c. 1843 - 1920

J. Beeg created this print titled ‘Kaartspel. / Nr. 2. / Ruiten’ which translates to ‘Card Game. / No. 2. / Diamonds’. Without a date, we can still try to situate this artwork in its cultural context. The print visualizes the ‘game’ of diamonds through different social classes. We see merchants, soldiers, and what appears to be working class people. Each group is shown interacting with diamond shapes, perhaps suggesting how wealth and social status permeate different aspects of society. The expressions and interactions of the figures evoke a sense of both comedy and social critique. The exaggerated features and postures of the characters satirize societal roles. Are these merely caricatures, or do they reflect deeper issues of class division, and social mobility? It’s interesting to consider how the artist uses the diamond symbol, traditionally associated with value and material wealth, to comment on the social dynamics of their time. It invites us to reflect on how societal structures and the pursuit of wealth shape human interactions.