Rijm-prent 1861 - 1929

This is "Rijm-prent," by Albertus Willem Sijthoff, an undated print at the Rijksmuseum. The print’s visual structure presents a stark contrast through a series of juxtaposed scenes. Notice how the artist arranges images to depict opposing states—the 'gebrek,' or 'lack,' against 'geen gebrek,' 'no lack'—creating a visual rhyme. The materiality of the print, with its fine lines and detailed engravings, allows Sijthoff to sharply define the socio-economic disparities of his time. The scenes of poverty and labor are directly contrasted with images of opulence and leisure. The strategic arrangement invites us to decode the print as a semiotic system, where each image functions as a signifier within a larger cultural narrative. The composition challenges fixed social meanings. This piece destabilizes the viewer's understanding of wealth by forcing a direct comparison with its opposite, reflecting ongoing debates about social structure and representation.