Deez' prent vertoont aan klein en groot, / Van dwazen Robinson den nood / Zwaar heeft zijnen gril geboet, / Maar 't einde goed, kroont alles goed 1832 - 1850

Curator: This illustrated print, made by Theodorus Johannes Wijnhoven-Hendriksen between 1832 and 1850, seems like a Dutch take on the Robinson Crusoe story. It presents a sequence of scenes from the protagonist’s adventures. The whole sheet, the scenes, have the effect of an early graphic novel! What layers of meaning do you think might be at play here? Editor: It is like a comic book version of Robinson Crusoe! I wonder if this series of images serves as just an adventure story? Or something more profound than that? Curator: The choice of Robinson Crusoe as a subject is itself interesting. Consider the context. Defoe’s novel was published in 1719, and quickly gained worldwide popularity. Now, more than a century later, how might the story of a shipwrecked individual resonate in Dutch society of the 19th century? Are there historical and cultural forces that give it renewed meaning? Editor: Perhaps the story spoke to a desire for exploration or to overcome difficulties? The title even says, "But the end is good, crowns everything good". Maybe the story helped ease anxieties people felt during difficult times by showing a possibility of overcoming hard situations. Curator: Exactly. We have to remember that stories shape identity, and identity shapes societies. Crusoe becomes not just a castaway but an emblem for certain ideals or aspirations during an era that saw colonialism becoming an increasingly significant element of both Dutch power, and national identity. Editor: So, what I'm understanding is, art can reveal so much more about society's collective psyche than it appears on the surface. Curator: Precisely. It’s crucial we see the print, not just as pretty pictures, but a reflection of its time, revealing Dutch anxieties and values.