Zooals papa / Verbeterde spreekwoorden 1894 - 1959

This illustrative print by Gordinne, with its blocks of comic frames in pastel shades, brings to mind a kind of visual storytelling, like an early form of graphic novel. I can imagine Gordinne sketching out these scenes, each a little vignette, trying to capture a moment of humor or irony. It’s interesting how each panel feels like a mini-stage, with figures posed in mid-action. Take, for instance, the panel where the fellow is being thrown from a horse. There’s a sense of slapstick, like a scene from a silent movie. You feel the physical comedy, even though it's just a static image. The artist is using idioms as a kind of code. It makes me think about the power of shared cultural references and how they can be twisted or played with. It reminds me of the work of artists like John Baldessari, who often combined images and text in subversive ways. Art is always a conversation, right? This piece, in its own quirky way, is part of that ongoing dialogue.