Old Father William Turning a Somersault, from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" c. 1901

Editor: Peter Newell’s "Old Father William Turning a Somersault," an illustration for Alice in Wonderland, shows this absurd upside-down man. I’m struck by the bizarre humor. What do you make of this image? Curator: Newell uses absurdity to critique Victorian societal norms, doesn’t he? The upside-down figure mocks the rigid expectations of age and authority. How might this challenge to decorum resonate with the book’s audience? Editor: It’s interesting to consider it as a form of rebellion, even in a playful way. Curator: Exactly. The laughter it provokes destabilizes power structures. Newell invites us to question what it means to be "proper" or "sensible." Perhaps nonsense IS sense. Editor: I never thought about it that way, but it makes perfect sense! Curator: Wonderful! Art helps us to understand the world anew.