Het verbond tegen Rodilard 1894 - 1959

This illustrated print, "Het verbond tegen Rodilard", at the Rijksmuseum is a real trip. It's got this flat, graphic feel, with thin washes of color that are almost like watercolors, but it feels more controlled. You can tell it's a print, everything is neatly separated and delineated, but the charm of the piece lies in the story being told. Each little scene is like a comic book panel, frozen in time. Take the central procession, for example. All these figures are marching, and each one has a slightly different pose and expression, and you can almost hear the scuffling of their feet and the muttering of the crowd. There's a sense of movement and chaos, even though it's just a static image. It's hard to put my finger on exactly who Lamouche might be influenced by, maybe someone like George Grosz, but really, this piece stands on its own. It reminds us that art can be fun, narrative, and a little bit strange. It's not about perfection, it's about expression.