Komt kinderen! wilt uw tyd besteeden, / Ziet in deez' prent veel aardigheden, / Beschouw een ieder in zyn zaak, / Strekt uw tot leering en vermaak 1831 - 1854

Curator: This engraving, dating from between 1831 and 1854 and created by Erve H. Rynders, strikes me as quite charming in its quaint depiction of everyday scenes, like a vintage comic strip! Each frame depicts a little vignette with Dutch text. How do you read this work? Editor: It definitely has a narrative quality. Each square looks like it tells a different story, with what appears to be some didactic text accompanying them. I’m curious, how might its creation process, the actual *making* of this artwork, impact our understanding of it? Curator: An excellent question. Looking at this through a materialist lens, we need to consider the conditions of its production. It's an engraving, meaning multiple impressions could be made. This suggests a purpose beyond high art, possibly aimed at a wider audience. Notice the publisher's name at the bottom? Editor: Erve H. Rynders. A woman! Or a widow, maybe. Curator: Precisely. "Erve" often indicated "widow of." That situates this piece within the context of 19th-century labor and commerce. Think about the skill required to create the engraving plates, the labour involved in the printing process, and how these prints might have been distributed and consumed. These factors contribute significantly to our interpretation, shifting it away from simple aesthetics. Could it be seen as one of the earliest iterations of comics for didactic or entertainment purposes? Editor: I never thought of it as a material object speaking volumes about labor and trade, but it really does change the perspective. Thinking about this piece as more than just an image but a mass produced product sheds new light on it!