Huishoudelijke zaken 1875 - 1903

Editor: Here we have Jan de Haan's "Huishoudelijke Zaken," created sometime between 1875 and 1903. It's a print featuring various household items, almost like a charming inventory. I'm struck by how quaint everything seems; it’s like peering into a dollhouse. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Well, it sings of simpler times, doesn't it? Each object, carefully rendered in ink, whispers stories of daily life. Notice how De Haan presents them, almost as actors on a stage. The teapot next to the chamber pot or the wine bottle - did you see that? It seems almost accidental but suggests much more than if those items would have been represented with, say, a cradle! What do you think could be a commonality for all those things? Editor: Perhaps items a child might be familiar with, even if they don't fully understand their purpose? Or maybe items needed to create and maintain that comfortable dollhouse feeling. Curator: Exactly! These "household matters," were likely aimed at children, educational perhaps. But there's more. I like how this all gives room to so many projections! What else strikes you about this 'domestic chorus'? Editor: The scissors are really mundane. Were children supposed to play with that object as well at that time? It looks like the others were somehow fancier objects. Curator: Good point! Not every household would be proud to expose these. But what about the "kinderwagen"? Did the author added all those different possible living standard just by chosing some item over others, instead of others? The object of children's daily interactions must not have been taken randomly... Interesting to consider. I really see this picture in a new light now, thank you! Editor: Me too! I’d originally viewed it as a straightforward display, but now I see it as something more intricate, more observant.