Belijn en de zijnen en de afgebeten kop van Cuwaert 1866 - 1939

Curator: This intriguing work is titled "Belijn en de zijnen en de afgebeten kop van Cuwaert" – dating from 1866 to 1939, made with watercolor and ink on paper by Bernard Willem Wierink and housed in the Rijksmuseum. The layout reminds me of stained glass. Editor: It does! I’m struck by the fantastical, dreamlike quality, especially the top register with the shadowy creatures. How do you interpret the imagery? Curator: I see layers of symbolic resonance. The wolf, Cuwaert, has a long and fraught history as an ambiguous symbol – in some traditions, associated with valor and loyalty, while in others, particularly the medieval period, embodying greed and deceit. His severed head points to a narrative, perhaps drawing on folklore or morality tales. What kind of story do you imagine is being told here? Editor: Hmm, perhaps one about betrayal or the consequences of unchecked desires, given the wolf’s darker connotations and the act of decapitation. What about the figures in the top part, do they relate? Curator: Indeed! Their frantic flight juxtaposes sharply with the static, framed wolf's head. This contrast emphasizes the chaotic, uncontrollable aspects of nature, against an attempt to confine and understand. Notice how the decorative border suggests both containment and an opening into another realm. Do you think this imagery has a cautionary function, given the context of when it was created? Editor: I do, especially considering societal anxieties around nature, morality and control during that time. It’s a complex interplay of meaning. Curator: It truly is. By examining its iconography, we've touched on the anxieties and cultural values embedded within this captivating image. Editor: It's amazing to see how symbols carry different, and sometimes opposing, meanings. Thank you!