Ik sta nu druk weêr drop te snijen [(...)] 1861 - 1929

Curator: Look at this, wouldn’t it charm the socks off you? "Ik sta nu druk weêr drop te snijen [(...)]"— that translates to "I am now busy cutting licorice again"—a lithograph from somewhere between 1861 and 1929 by Albertus Willem Sijthoff. I just love how busy it is, a whole little world contained in a single print. Editor: Busy, indeed. At first glance, I see the rigid organization and presentation, neatly compartmentalized, echoes the structured social expectations placed upon children. Each scene feels like a lesson in prescribed gender roles. Curator: I see your point. The top row is very male-centric: what looks like a tobacco cutter, someone working with metal… And below are domestic scenes with women sewing and doing laundry. Yet I’m captivated by the little dramas unfolding, the miniature worlds Sijthoff’s created. They’re playful despite the clear gender divisions. Editor: Precisely, the medium of children's prints normalizes and disseminates these roles early in life. Consider, though, the artistry at play in even what might appear as propaganda. Curator: It makes me think of the old adage "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world", or the notion that by managing the domestic space, they wield an invisible power of sorts. Sijthoff probably wasn’t thinking that deeply, of course! But that's the magic, right? He sets the stage, and then we, the viewers, get to write our own play! I do also appreciate seeing snippets of older Dutch here. It shows the variety of traditional life. Editor: That intersection is vital. We excavate not just aesthetic choices but the subtle mechanics of cultural reproduction and expectation. Analyzing these prints allows us to dissect how social norms are transmitted, absorbed, and potentially challenged. It does serve to show how far our own society has moved forward on that front. Curator: So well said. When I revisit Sijthoff's little world of cutting licorice, sewing, and doing laundry I find it bittersweet. Nostalgia mixed with the clarity of a changed world. Editor: Yes, as we analyze works like this print, the critical element of intersectional perspective deepens our historical literacy and our empathy as viewers.