Verkiest, ô kinderen! uit de onderstaande beelden, / Uw smaak, of zy misschien uw keuze en zinnen streelden 1715 - 1813

Curator: Here we have a print titled "Verkiest, ô kinderen! uit de onderstaande beelden, / Uw smaak, of zy misschien uw keuze en zinnen streelden," attributed to the Erven Weduwe Cornelis Stichter and created sometime between 1715 and 1813. Editor: Woah. That's... dense. It looks like a page from some kind of antique "spot the difference" puzzle book or maybe an early mood board! I'm getting a quirky, slightly unsettling vibe. It’s incredibly busy. Curator: Indeed. The composition is divided into twelve small vignettes, each depicting a different genre scene, common in narrative art. Each scene contains symbolism designed to carry the wisdom of the age. Editor: So, these are essentially tiny stories frozen in time. I wonder what "choosing your pleasures and senses" had to do with all this—the way the title prompts children to choose. Curator: Considering its didactic potential and visual variety, this engraving perhaps functions as a tool of both early education and moral instruction. Each panel possibly offers a scenario for contemplating values. Editor: That makes sense. Look at the scene of the well-dressed fellow getting caught in the rain under his umbrella while people just outside are basking in sunlight: misfortune can unexpectedly impact those in society with higher privilege. And just beside it we see some rich urn standing elevated over somebody going by... perhaps hinting towards death and burial? Curator: Yes, while these images evoke very quotidian existences for the time, the purpose might not be entirely representational. For instance, you have people going by with different styles, professions, hobbies. Some appear in outdoor scenarios, while others remain confined inside small interiors; the goal is probably more complex than initially perceived, perhaps tapping into psychological truths. Editor: Fascinating. It’s like flipping through somebody's slightly weird, yet oddly relatable, 18th-century photo album! Curator: Exactly. Visual memory and cultural ideals—woven with narrative instruction through each carefully designed miniature illustration. Editor: So, it isn’t just what’s shown, but what those images were intended to *mean*. This engraving seems far deeper than some pretty old piece! Curator: Indeed. It is also something quite telling about its creator's mind. Let's continue.