Affiche voor het Hoenderpark 1e klasse Den Honaart Voorburg

Curator: Here we have "Affiche voor het Hoenderpark 1e klasse Den Honaart Voorburg" which we can translate as “Poster for the First Class Hoenderpark Den Honaart Voorburg”, dating from 1873 to 1917, by Theo van Hoytema. This linocut print is currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: It has an oddly calming effect, even though there are so many birds crammed together. The limited palette and slightly blurred lines, because of the medium, give it a soothing rhythm despite the potential chaos. Curator: Van Hoytema's embrace of Art Nouveau here isn't just decorative. Consider the poster's function—advertising. The design elevates a simple chicken farm, suggesting a refined, almost utopian space. The emphasis on "1e klasse" – First Class – speaks to social stratification and the aspirational consumer culture emerging at the time. Editor: Exactly. And who were the intended consumers? What does “first class” even mean in the context of poultry? It subtly implies exclusivity, class privilege extending even to the consumption of, and perhaps leisure amongst, livestock. There is a very strange dissonance when you think about this advert in our modern context of animal rights movements. Curator: You bring up a good point about the relationship between commerce, aesthetics, and evolving values. Think about how early advertisements often blended art and social commentary. It invited consumers to partake in more than just an experience or a product but a particular social order. Editor: Which then opens another can of worms: What does this say about how we valued labour, life and landscape back then? And who decided what 'first class' looked like, anyway? I suppose posters were once key spaces in these debates. Curator: Absolutely. Van Hoytema was more than just an artist, he was negotiating these developing social norms, mediating between consumer desire, ethical values, and evolving artistic styles through his commercial work. Editor: That negotiation remains relevant. By examining art through a historical lens, we shed light on how we interact today with both each other and the other beings with which we share the earth. It reveals much more than one can immediately recognise on seeing this print.