De vredestichter c. 1843 - 1920

Curator: “De Vredestichter,” or “The Peacemaker,” is an engraving by Hermann van der Moolen dating from sometime between 1843 and 1920. What strikes you about this series of vignettes? Editor: The series of small scenes feels like a morality tale. It reminds me of those old-fashioned books of proverbs. What do you make of the title “The Peacemaker” given the scenes depicted here? Curator: I think the title is deeply ironic. When we look at these seemingly disparate scenes of conflict, whether it's a brawl at a table or animals fighting, what underlying social tensions do you think are at play? What norms are being reinforced and challenged here? Editor: I guess I see a reflection of everyday life and common conflicts, especially for the time, and maybe this is the "peace" the artist is talking about? The order of life even among all the squabbles. Curator: Exactly, and it asks us to consider how peace is often maintained through power dynamics, through systems of control and sometimes violence. Think about the colonial context, for instance. Editor: So the artist is pushing us to reflect on the undercurrent of violence and power that often exists beneath a veneer of peace? Curator: Precisely! It questions whose peace is being protected, and at what cost. How might such an image challenge contemporary ideas around conflict resolution? Editor: This makes me reconsider my initial read entirely, I wasn't reading closely enough and took it at face value. Now I understand this image is provoking the idea of how fragile peace can be and is asking us to be alert to it. Curator: Agreed, and that makes for a compelling work, then and now.