Vrouw en kinderen kijken naar een brandend gebouw 1917 - 1970

Curator: Here we have “Woman and Children Looking at a Burning Building,” a drawing made with ink on paper by Adrie Vürtheim, dating from between 1917 and 1970. Editor: My initial response is that it’s visually arresting! The stark black and white contrast immediately draws the eye to the glowing inferno visible through the window. Curator: Indeed. Vürtheim's work frequently touched upon domestic life and societal observation. Given the historical context of the early to mid-20th century, one might interpret this drawing as a commentary on the anxieties of war, social upheaval, and loss experienced in a world marked by both world wars. The building ablaze serves as a potent metaphor for societal instability, observed by those within the presumed safety of their home. Editor: The composition certainly enhances that interpretation. The window acts as a rigid frame, literally and figuratively separating the observers from the observed. The figures are meticulously outlined, their static poses amplifying a sense of frozen horror. Curator: The choice to render this scene in ink further emphasizes the starkness of the moment, offering very little middle ground between the safety of the home and the disaster that plays out beyond the glass. We see a snapshot of the voyeuristic role imposed upon the inhabitants. Editor: I find it interesting that Vürtheim uses dense, almost frantic hatching to depict the fire, a striking contrast to the cleaner lines defining the figures and the room. This visual choice directs our focus but also amplifies the chaotic, destructive nature of the fire itself. It dominates the small narrative moment of looking at a dangerous world through one’s window. Curator: Yes, and one can almost see the social dynamic present in many homes where an impending fear hangs over their heads: the mother a solid protective figure while the children embody a somewhat frightening curiosity. Vürtheim shows the public becoming very, very personal. Editor: The drawing invites us to consider the very nature of looking, observing from a place of privilege. We too are positioned as spectators, implicating us in the scene. I am reminded that formalism is rarely neutral; choices about line, texture, and composition construct a perspective that helps inform how we see tragedy and everyday existence. Curator: Reflecting on it now, the artist uses her artwork as a time capsule. We get a brief moment of people from the past contemplating a catastrophic future. Editor: Ultimately, it’s a compelling reminder that art often reflects not just the world as it is, but also the very act of witnessing it.