Graaf Willem V wordt krankzinnig en vermoordt Gerrit van Wateringen, 1357 1843

Johann Wilhelm Kaiser captured the alleged insanity and murder committed by Graaf Willem V in this wash drawing. The broken crown lying at the feet of the throne is a striking symbol of shattered authority. It echoes motifs of fallen empires seen across centuries, from ancient Roman coins depicting defeated rulers to Renaissance paintings of the fall of Troy, all reflecting a deep-seated cultural anxiety about the fragility of power. Consider, too, the motif of madness, the wide eyes and contorted faces, recalling the frenzied figures in depictions of the Massacre of the Innocents, or even the possessed characters in medieval morality plays. These gestures, passed down through generations of artists, tap into a collective memory of fear and chaos. The image speaks to the cyclical nature of history, where symbols of power and madness continually resurface, evolving yet retaining their visceral impact on the human psyche.