De brandweer van de maan c. 1902

"De brandweer van de maan" (The Fire Brigade of the Moon), by Pellerin & Cie, I'm imagining it was made with lithography, a sort of printmaking. It's a flurry of cartoonish activity, sepia tones, and madcap adventures. I can almost hear the artist chuckling as they sketch these scenes. What's going on, I wonder? Firemen prancing about, some on horseback, and with long swords. The artist might have been thinking about... well, who knows! Maybe it's a satire, a commentary on authority, or just a bit of fun. The lines are so crisp, like quick notations, and everything's so playful, and so delightfully absurd. It reminds me of a graphic novel, or a comic strip. It has the feeling of someone who is thinking, "this is not so precious, this is of the people." The best art sparks something in you, makes you want to pick up a pencil or pen. I love seeing how different artists play with the same ideas, echoing and riffing off each other, it's a joyous and an ongoing conversation.