Ziet, kindren lief, deez' trouwe hond, / Wacht zeker, tot zijn meester komt / Regardez, chers enfants, ce chien vous apprend / D'être toujours et partout bien à temps 1866 - 1902

Curator: Wow, that pup has seen better days. Those eyes have this melancholic quality like an old photograph left in the sun too long. Editor: Let's turn our attention to "Ziet, kindren lief, deez' trouwe hond...", which translates from the Dutch and French as "Look, dear children, this faithful dog, Surely waits, until his master comes..." created by Franciscus Antonius Beersmans sometime between 1866 and 1902. It’s an engraving. Curator: Engraving, huh? It feels more emotionally charged than your typical, crisp engraving. There's a tenderness, a slight clumsiness even, in the lines that brings the dog to life, a simple print of a dog, so earnest in his watchfulness. Editor: Precisely. Note the rigid, almost geometric posture—the perpendicularity of the dog’s torso to its perch creates a firm anchor amidst the supposed “tenderness.” Curator: I can almost hear my grandma reciting those lines to me about unwavering loyalty, using dogs to drill home some lesson about humans failing to live up. Dogs, eternally patient! Editor: And did it work? What did you make of it? The repetition in its legs, echoing a Roman column, emphasizes structure and form, doesn't move you to sentimentality, though I agree that the composition intends to inspire. Curator: I see a devotion captured with a sweet awkwardness – a simple guide, using line and form in the same breath, if the dog can wait with those worried eyes, then maybe… just maybe… so can we all. Editor: Indeed, whether one prioritizes the symbolic messaging or admires the intrinsic structure—the interplay is undeniably magnetic, it really rewards prolonged, considerate gazing. Curator: It's simple and direct and asks us for some pause to let the lessons in simple forms work on our hearts. Editor: Let us hope the lessons it can deliver reward those willing to receive them, its messages remain with us after we depart.