Vrouw met spreektrompet (Prulla) c. 1770

Pieter Langendijk created this print titled 'Vrouw met spreektrompet (Prulla)' sometime in the late 18th century. The image depicts Prulla, a figure from Dutch comedy, using a large megaphone to amplify her voice. During Langendijk's time, the Dutch Republic was experiencing a period of economic decline, coupled with the rise of Enlightenment ideals. The theater became a space where social norms were both reinforced and challenged. Here, Prulla, often portrayed as a boisterous and unconventional woman, disrupts the traditional image of female decorum. Her use of the megaphone symbolizes the amplification of female voice, literally and figuratively, in a society undergoing transformation. Langendijk captures the tension between the old and the new, inviting viewers to reconsider conventional notions of gender and power through the lens of laughter and satire. "Away, away, Apollo, with harp and lyre, Now Prulla's song caresses our ears," as the inscription reads, which is a clear rejection of traditional forms of entertainment in favour of something new.