Hier heeft de jeugd tot haar gerijf, Thijl Uylenspiegels leven en bedrijf 1725 - 1780

This series of prints depicting ‘Thijl Uylenspiegels Leven en bedrijf’ was created by Johannes Kannewet. The composition is structured as a grid, organizing each scene of the narrative into small, self-contained squares. The use of line is striking; each episode is sharply delineated, creating a sense of order. The minimalist use of colour—primarily blacks, greys and reds—serves to emphasize form and detail, drawing attention to the stark contrasts within each vignette. This simplicity invites us to focus on the shapes and relationships between figures and objects, prompting us to interpret the narrative's progression through visual cues alone. Kannewet’s style is rooted in the tradition of printmaking. The semiotic use of signs, rendered in graphic form, challenges the idea of fixed meaning. This allows for a multitude of readings, reflecting the ever-changing societal interpretations, and re-interpretations, of the original stories. The grid structure, combined with stark visual contrasts, presents the episodic nature of life as a series of structured yet open-ended moments.