Letter-spel 1806 - 1830

Editor: This print, "Letter-spel" from somewhere between 1806 and 1830 by Johan Noman, depicts the alphabet with associated animals. The Romantic-era styling makes this feel quaint, almost like something pulled from a children’s book. What leaps out at you when you look at this? Curator: "Quaint" is a lovely word for it! You know, it whispers of a time when learning was intertwined with nature, each letter a little window onto the world. I’m immediately drawn to the “I” and the figure associated with it. Do you think that figure represents indigenous people from that period, reflecting cultural attitudes that informed education back then? Editor: That's an interesting interpretation, and quite plausible considering the period. So, looking beyond the pedagogical intention, what might a piece like this say about the artist’s view of the world? Curator: I feel like I can see Johan Noman attempting to bring order to the world, categorizing it – or rather, alphabetizing it! He’s trying to create connections between language, image, and understanding... like the image of the dog, ‘Hond’ paired with the letter ‘H’. But doesn’t it feel like there is a kind of wildness barely contained within those neat boxes, like a menagerie trying to burst free? The "X," represented by crossed sticks, feels oddly abstract amid the animals. A bit disconcerting, maybe, in the overall scheme. Editor: Yes, definitely a touch disconcerting. Now that I see these images as small windows into another time, I have new appreciation for Noman's art. Curator: Absolutely! And those small windows offer surprisingly vast perspectives, don't they? Each glance revealing another story beneath the surface of the alphabet.