Het twaalfuurtje 1894 - 1959

This print called ‘Het twaalfuurtje’, was made at some point by an artist known only as Monogrammist G.J. It’s a grid of little scenes, like a comic strip before comics were cool, all rendered with these delicate lines and a sweet, slightly faded color palette. The artist really commits to the process, filling the whole page with this orderly arrangement of figures and text. I love how the thinness of the lines contrasts with the relative solidity of the figures, especially the woman’s dresses. The colors are muted, almost pastel-like, which gives the whole thing a dreamy, nostalgic vibe. I'm drawn to the scene where the children stand around the bed. The bed frame is drawn with such care, and the way the blanket falls. The scene resonates with the idea of care. It reminds me a bit of the work of artists like Jessie Wilcox Smith, who also captured these tender, everyday moments with such gentle precision. Like all good art, this print offers endless possibilities for interpretation, embracing the beauty of ambiguity.