Elk jaargety, ô lieve jeugd. / Schenkt somtyds ons vermaak en vreugd 1842 - 1866

Curator: This delightful little piece, entitled "Elk jaargety, ô lieve jeugd. / Schenkt somtyds ons vermaak en vreugd," was created sometime between 1842 and 1866. It's an engraving by the widow C. Kok-van Kolm, held here at the Rijksmuseum. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: It reminds me of a storyboard or maybe an early comic strip. Each little scene feels like a frozen moment in a larger narrative. There's a quaint, folksy charm to it. Curator: Absolutely. Each panel presents a different scene, capturing snippets of everyday life and leisure activities, possibly intended to chronicle a Dutch family across the seasons. It's folk art in miniature. Do you notice any particular symbol resonating? Editor: Well, the figures are stylistically rendered in the fashion of folk-art illustration, each scene appearing universally familiar yet somewhat aloof through the old engraving style. And I read it to celebrate folk’s innocent freedom as reflected in the various panels. I mean it seems aimed to offer children both "vermaak" and "vreugd", "delight and joy". Curator: And yet, the seeming randomness, at least to modern eyes, might mask a structured, didactic scheme or symbolic allegory that would resonate with a 19th-century viewer, the artist maybe offering the youth something more than innocent pleasure. Editor: That’s certainly plausible. I find myself wondering how an artist like weduwe Kok-van Kolm, now a widow, would decide what moments to showcase. Perhaps she saw herself as both celebrating youthful pleasure while offering a gentle, coded roadmap to social responsibility? Curator: That's a beautiful consideration of her intentions. The arrangement could serve as a guide or reminder of how to behave, but how delightful to imagine art with moral intention can give people a free ticket to the museum today. Editor: True! Though art’s public role always morphs with time. These panels offer a beguiling look into the domestic ideals and recreational practices of a specific time and place. I’m very happy that we were given time to discuss. Curator: I agree wholeheartedly. Thinking about these vignettes and their place within the larger fabric of Dutch culture enriches my experience.