Toy Bank 1935 - 1942

Editor: So this piece, titled "Toy Bank," made with watercolor and drawing techniques sometime between 1935 and 1942 by an anonymous artist, has a somewhat unnerving quality. The composition feels a bit unsettling. What do you make of this scene? Curator: Unsettling is a great word for it. It's playful but with an edge, like a vintage puppet show gone slightly off the rails. The use of watercolor gives it a faded storybook quality, yet the scene itself…well, we have this Robin Hood figure aiming a comically oversized rifle at what looks like a tower, with a child peering out from behind it. Is it threatening? Is it a game? Is it even…silly? Editor: I’m wondering if it's satirical in some way? The exaggerated features, the somewhat drab colors despite it being watercolor. Curator: Absolutely. Given the time period, the looming shadow of global conflict can't be ignored. Toys, even those seemingly innocent, can carry heavier meanings. Maybe it’s a critique of power, disguised as childish fun? What if this were an element of popular media such as an animated show or radio serial. How might we have then interpreted the context of the period of history? Editor: So, by using art with child like characteristics of watercolor and caricature this could be used as commentary on political relations at the time? I'm still not sure what to think about it. It dances between humor and something much darker. Curator: Precisely. It leaves you questioning, doesn't it? And that’s what makes it so compelling. We're left to ponder whether childhood innocence can truly be separated from the larger world around it. Perhaps this drawing represents something about the transition from safety to perceived existential threat. What would you tell children about the artwork? Editor: That's something to think about... it really complicates my understanding of artwork produced for mass consumption at the time. It could be about propaganda... or parody... It certainly presents interesting avenues for discussion. Curator: Indeed! This quirky "Toy Bank" reminds us that even the simplest images can hold layers of complexity, if we're willing to look closely. And now perhaps seek answers?