Het nieuw en vermaeckelyck ghansespel 1801

Editor: We’re looking at "Het nieuw en vermaeckelyck ghansespel," a game board created in 1801 by Erven de Weduwe Jacobus van Egmont. It’s an engraving on paper. It gives me an intriguing sense of order; the game spaces are all neatly arranged, but there's a visual density too. What stands out to you in terms of the image itself? Curator: The compositional strategy here is quite compelling. The eye is immediately drawn to the geometric patterning and circular formation, a calculated method that holds the image together. Note the balanced distribution of positive and negative space, which contributes to its legibility despite the intense detailing. Observe how each of the numbered compartments contain emblematic figures; these icons invite semiotic analysis, presenting as an enigmatic code to decipher. Editor: So, the enjoyment might come from figuring out those coded figures? Curator: Perhaps. But consider further the materials employed: ink on paper. The engraver's deliberate hand is palpable in each stroke. How do the variations in line thickness, and the contrasts in tonal value, contribute to the overall effect? What significance lies within the relationship between graphic marks, their interplay constructing a cohesive structure? Editor: I hadn’t really considered how the lines make up the whole experience, more than the little images inside. Curator: Exactly. Focus on how these graphic devices function, rather than their symbolic implications. What can you glean from their formal arrangement? The paper itself isn’t just a neutral surface, it contributes too through the shades of light and dark. Editor: Thinking about it as a composition, I’m starting to see a structured whole, rather than just a game. Thanks for highlighting the art, even in what seems functional! Curator: Precisely! Approaching it from this lens can completely recontextualize what seems like a game board. I was hoping that focusing on form and materiality might open it up.