Felicitas et Pax 1926 1926

Curator: Considering "Felicitas et Pax, 1926" by Bernard Willem Wierink is a print, what’s the first thing you notice about the use of material in relation to its message? Editor: Well, I'm struck by the flat colors and geometric shapes, which give it this wonderful vintage aesthetic. Knowing it’s a print from the 1920s makes me wonder about its cultural context and purpose. What story might be embedded in the process of making it? Curator: Precisely! As a print, likely a woodcut or linocut, the image had to be meticulously carved. This immediately points to a relationship between labor, skill, and reproducibility. Does the imagery itself suggest anything about the labor or consumption of that era? Editor: I see… The figure, maybe a symbol of peace or happiness, is holding what look like wreaths. Perhaps this relates to the craft involved in creating those physical objects too? And what about the use of specific materials like the paper itself – would that also be chosen with a message in mind? Curator: The choice of paper stock, the inks, the distribution method... These elements offer invaluable insights into its intended audience. What does the stylized figuration imply about the cultural values attached to the concepts of ‘felicity’ and ‘peace’ at the time? Was it for mass consumption or a niche market? Editor: That makes me consider who exactly was meant to access this print? Was it meant to be accessible to a large audience given the method of production, or reserved to a limited number of collectors? Curator: Exactly! Considering the era following World War I, such imagery, produced through a craft-based medium, may reflect a yearning for stability or the revival of handcraft in the face of industrialisation. These material choices definitely shaped reception. Editor: I hadn't considered how the materials and methods tie so directly into its meaning and context! Thanks! Curator: Indeed, seeing art as a product of material processes opens a whole new realm of interpretation.