Tijdtabel van geschiedenis vanaf Adam tot 1864 1864 - 1865

Curator: Looking at Robert de Laborde's "Tableau Synoptique de l'Histoire Universelle" from 1864-1865 feels a bit like peering into a very well-organized attic filled with…time. It’s quite the spectacle of tiny text and pastel blocks! What's your first impression? Editor: Well, I’m struck by how much information is packed into one print. It feels like an attempt to make sense of, well, everything! I’m curious, how would you interpret a piece like this, so intent on capturing history? Curator: To me, it is as though someone captured lightning in a bottle! History, after all, isn’t a straight line. What is fascinating to me is to try to decipher how its creator perceived their place in the grand scheme of things. Laborde presents us with his worldview as much as world events. And, darling, have you noticed the rigid structure? Each event tucked into neat little boxes? Does that say anything about the mindset of the time, do you think? Editor: That's true! It does feel very orderly, very much trying to control and compartmentalize history. A timeline broken into grids! Almost like an infographic trying to wrangle centuries! The colors almost feel comforting, belying the sheer density of data. But why make a "Tijdtabel" now? Curator: It's funny, isn't it? Creating order where perhaps none exists! Perhaps this drive for categorization is a key to understanding the 19th century's ambition. This feels deeply rooted in its era and that thirst to know…everything! Now, that we have travelled in the Tijdtabel, is this more about history, or time? Editor: Definitely food for thought. I see it as a cultural artifact now—less about perfect accuracy and more about the impulse to document, classify, and understand. Like a time capsule reflecting a specific moment in history. Curator: Exactly! And that's why even a poster about history, ends up becoming history itself.