De blauwe neus 1876 - 1890

This print titled 'The Blue Nose', presents a series of vignettes about a boy, easily identified by his blue nose. A recurring motif is the act of consumption, particularly of substances, leading to transformation. Consider the act of drinking: here, it leads not to Dionysian ecstasy, but a rather peculiar physical alteration, a blue nose. This transformation through consumption echoes ancient rituals of transformation. Think of the Eucharist or even shamanic practices where ingestion alters one’s state of being. Over time, this motif shifts; consumption no longer leads to spiritual enlightenment, but to physical changes. The emotional resonance lies in the theme of transformation and consequence. It taps into our collective memory of cause and effect, where actions, especially consumption, lead to inevitable, often humorous, alterations. This transformation, both comical and cautionary, speaks to the enduring human fascination with change and its repercussions, reminding us that every action, no matter how trivial, has its consequences, a timeless lesson echoed through the ages.