De poppen-kast / Tweede stuk. Don Juan c. 1843 - 1920

This undated print titled, "De poppen-kast / Tweede stuk. Don Juan," by C. Reinhardt, employs lithography on paper to capture a theatrical scene. The composition is divided into panels. The figures stand out due to their dark outlines. The visual rhythm created by the repeated patterns on the figures costumes evokes a dynamic sense of movement. The artist uses the puppet show as a framework to destabilize fixed meanings. Here, Don Juan is a puppet manipulated by societal expectations, with the devil looming over the story as its end draws near. Reinhardt is inviting us to consider that individual actions may be predetermined, thereby questioning the illusion of free will. Through its formal structure, the artwork invites us to recognize that art, like life, is in a constant state of flux. The artwork becomes a reflection of the broader intellectual currents in which fixed meanings are constantly destabilized.