Het vermakelijk / Harlikein-spel 1827 - 1894

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to a fascinating print titled “Het vermakelijk / Harlikein-spel,” which roughly translates to “The Entertaining Harlequin Game." Created sometime between 1827 and 1894 by M. Hemeleers-van Houter, it resides here at the Rijksmuseum. My immediate thought is, this doesn't resemble the Dutch Harlequin of this era. Editor: It strikes me as quite unsettling, actually. The stark contrasts and cartoonish caricature seem to mock the genre and bring it into some political standing. The flat coloring gives it an almost grotesque edge. Curator: Interesting observation. Consider the social climate in which this print emerged. The 19th century was a period of evolving print culture, with satirical images and popular entertainments influencing public discourse. The Harlequin figure was ubiquitous and well understood in its local social performance contexts. Editor: Exactly. But, here, he is clearly othered. Is he wearing blackface? How is this figure made to be seen? What politics shape who this "game" is for and what it encourages people to imagine? Also the figure of a Harlequin holding what appears to be a donation bucket could be poking fun at social hierarchies or begging. Curator: Precisely, though Harlequinades in different public spaces featured an othered persona. Also note how numbers border the central figure, as do the numbers within the container itself. This game could have been very similar to the kinds of card games that traveled along different migrant routes. As these figures made themselves more ubiquitous they would make room for interpretation that often included negative portrayals. I don't agree that the grotesque element that stands out to you is politically motivated and aimed at class hierarchies, however. Editor: Fair enough. I suppose that what remains unsettling is its potential implications beyond just playful mockery. There is a certain discomfort lingering behind what appears at face value and points to darker undertones relating to identity, especially if some racial element is at play as this has appeared elsewhere. Curator: Perhaps. It’s that interplay between entertainment and potential social commentary that makes this print such a compelling artifact, wouldn’t you agree? It's so tempting to project current ideologies back onto historical items but this practice isn't quite rigorous and only flattens what made Harlequin such a global persona, and these materials made his persona more digestible. Editor: Absolutely. It reminds us that humor can be a potent tool, both for reinforcing and subverting the status quo, and the visual languages are shifting depending on access. Let us see each piece on its own terms so it makes itself accessible to audiences rather than creating interpretations that flatten context and social circumstance.