Man achter een bureau overhandigt Pepita een papier before 1948

Curator: Here we have a pen and graphite drawing by Hans Borrebach, likely made before 1948. It’s titled “Man achter een bureau overhandigt Pepita een papier” – A Man Behind a Desk Hands Pepita a Paper. Editor: Gosh, there’s a story here, isn't there? The angular style makes it seem like some noir comic, or a frame lifted from a graphic novel, the air is thick with untold narrative! I can practically hear jazz in a smoky room… Curator: It certainly has that graphic quality. Borrebach worked as a caricaturist for various magazines. We can read this in terms of popular media and its reflection on societal roles within bureaucratic structures. Look at the setting: the imposing figure behind the desk versus the woman, perhaps applying for a job. Editor: Bureaucracy! Right, well, I prefer the soap opera version. Look at her expression, a kind of…resigned hopefulness? She *needs* that paper, but this man… He’s drawn in a way that screams self-importance. The stacks of books almost form a barrier. The light emphasizes his face like he's giving a performance, and not a charitable one. Curator: These roles and interactions weren’t neutral. Post-war Dutch society had clear ideas about labor and gender, powerfully shaped by visual culture, including work like Borrebach’s. One must always keep the historical context in mind. Editor: Oh, definitely, but even knowing that, it sparks something! Look, her clothing… simple but neat. Then there’s that little detail – the crumpled paper overflowing in the trashcan. Rejected applications? Broken dreams? Oh, give Pepita a break! I bet the note says, "You're hired, go home". Curator: It serves as a visual record. I suppose that beyond any intended message, a drawing like this also unintentionally reveals a little of the artist’s assumptions. A slice of life captured and framed. Editor: I love the ‘what if’ possibilities tucked into its stark lines. Art always gives you space to project and wonder, right? This quirky illustration is good evidence of the world and all its people.