Alleen uw gift is in staat deze kinderen te helpen. Vereeniging Hulp voor onbehuisden c. 1914

It looks like Willem Pothast made this poster to get people to help children. It’s not brushy or anything, but look at the textures and muted palette! What could it have been like to make it? I’m thinking that Pothast was trying to get a message across here and probably didn't think about the poster as some fancy art piece. It's all about the story of these two kids standing in the snow. The one in the grey coat looks really sad and droopy. It's amazing how the artist captures the weight of that emotion with a few strokes. It's interesting to think about how the materials of painting—the paper, ink, and printing process—come together to create such a powerful image. The work feels connected to earlier forms of painting and illustration and how painting has always played a role in social commentary, right? This poster makes me think about how artists keep influencing each other across time. It's like one big conversation that never ends, and we all get to listen in and maybe even add our own voices to the mix.