Onwetendheid 1738 - 1800

Editor: We're looking at "Ignorance," a black and white print from somewhere between 1738 and 1800, author unknown. It feels rather… satirical? I see people forcing a donkey to eat or stand on a book, with a crumbling, almost idyllic, background. What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, satire indeed! I see a rather brutal commentary on, well, ignorance! This artist saw how some people reject knowledge, even try to destroy it, thinking they know better. Look at that statue in the back, an allegory for wisdom perhaps? It's being ignored, while the "learned" are tormenting an animal. The artist really turned the knife. Don’t you think it’s interesting that landscape acts as an elegant container for all of this social unease? Editor: So the beautiful setting kind of underscores the ugliness of the action? Curator: Exactly. It reminds me a little of Swift's *A Modest Proposal*--where beauty is weaponized as a reminder of a society's ills. Why use etching, I wonder? The lines seem almost intentionally rough, like… unrefined thoughts? Editor: Hmmm. Interesting point! The printmaking *adds* to the sense of unrefined crudeness in their actions! I always thought the appeal of prints was their ability to duplicate perfect lines! Curator: That's precisely where the creative tension springs from here. What have you learned? Editor: That prints, with all their perceived precision, can have a bold sense of satire! Curator: Exactly, so go boldly now!