Inability Collection

Cartoon - Swallowing a yarn
A little blackbird fails to consume a length of twine: " I can t swallow that yarn." Date: circa 1915

Flotow Martha Quartet
The delightful spinning quartet from Act Two, as the two posh ladies, disguised as country girls, reveal their inability to perform mundane household tasks

Raising a toast to the club (colour litho)
3641841 Raising a toast to the club (colour litho) by Browne, Tom (1872-1910); Private Collection; (add.info.: Raising a toast to the club. Postcard, early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

Illustration for Jorrocks Jaunts and Jollities (colour litho)
6005938 Illustration for Jorrocks Jaunts and Jollities (colour litho) by Alken, Henry Thomas (1785-1851) (after); Private Collection; (add.info)

Self-expression (litho)
6013351 Self-expression (litho) by Pont (Graham Laidler) (1908-40); Private Collection; (add.info.: Self-expression. Illustration for Most of US are Absurd by Pont (Collins)

Ausnahmegesetze (emergency laws). Thomas Theodor Heine Caricature comparing Bismarcks inability to contain the social democracy and Joseph Wirth, Chancellor of Germany from 1921 to 1922

The blind shepherds, Antonie Wierix (II), Willem van Haecht (I), 1579

French cartoon on the inability of early balloonists to control the direction of their flights. Here the balloon is being pulled by donkeys

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Amidst the whimsical world of art and folklore, this collection of captions invites us to ponder the human condition, particularly our inability to control the unpredictable. From Martha Quartet's cartoon of swallowing a yarn, reminding us of life's tangled complexities, to the Jorrocks Jaunts and Jollities illustration of raising a toast to the club, symbolizing our shared experiences and hopes. Self-expression, as depicted in the lithograph, showcases the human desire to communicate and connect, yet the Four of Coins tarot card from the Visconti deck hints at the obstacles that hinder our progress. Thomas Theodor's Ausnahmegesetze explores the limitations of laws and their inability to fully protect us. The blind shepherds, depicted in the Wierix and van Haecht illustration, symbolize our lack of foresight and understanding. Even early balloonists, as depicted in the French cartoon, grappled with the inability to control the direction of their flights. Through these captions, we are reminded of the beauty and challenges that come with our inherent limitations.