Mannen rijden met een auto tegen een hek c. 1930 - 1940

Editor: This is "Men Driving a Car into a Fence," a pen and ink drawing by F. Ockerse, created sometime between 1930 and 1940. The whole scene feels rather comical and a bit clumsy. What strikes you when you look at this drawing? Curator: The humour is definitely the first hook, isn't it? I'm drawn to how this genre painting comments on the increasing accessibility of cars in the early 20th century and the burgeoning anxieties surrounding them. The image, despite being humorous, offers an interesting peek into social anxieties of the period regarding new technologies and perhaps even class mobility. Editor: Class mobility? Curator: Yes, the car becomes this potent symbol. Owning one implied a certain social status, didn't it? And this awkward, slapstick collision... well, it kind of levels the playing field. What do you make of the artist’s choice to depict this incident with caricature? Editor: I guess it diffuses any sense of real danger and amps up the comedic effect, making it feel more relatable and less like a critique. Curator: Exactly. The drawing uses modernism style and humour to navigate the complexities of technological advancement and social change. And where might this image find itself in circulation do you imagine? Editor: Well, the exaggerated style makes me think this drawing would not be out of place in a newspaper or magazine! I see this piece in a new light! Thank you. Curator: And I enjoyed considering Ockerse's drawing as a historical artifact! It’s a playful lens through which to examine societal shifts.