Spotprent bij de plaatsing van het Binnenhoffontein, 1885 1885

Editor: This pen drawing, dating back to 1885, is titled "Spotprent bij de plaatsing van het Binnenhoffontein" by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans. The title is Dutch, and my guess is that it translates roughly to "cartoon for the unveiling of the Binnenhof Fountain." It's a pretty detailed piece that, I have to say, feels almost... judgmental? What catches your eye? Curator: Judgmental is a good word for it! The stiff figure doffing his cap, the fountain itself rendered with fussy detail against a quickly sketched background… it reeks of satire. Imagine being bombarded by elaborate pronouncements! What’s funny to me is that the artist clearly sees something ridiculous in the fountain itself, or perhaps the celebration around it. Editor: The phrase at the bottom does say something about not having Roman professors but having a Roman king… Does that have to do with politics? Curator: Precisely! That little inscription is the key, I think. The ‘Roman King’ probably alludes to the Dutch monarchy and perhaps critiques perceived Catholic or foreign influence. The Dutch have a history of struggling with those powers! It makes you wonder, doesn't it, about the real cost of that fountain. Was it a necessary expenditure, or just frivolous decoration while other needs went unmet? Editor: So, the drawing is a political statement, camouflaged as art? I never would have guessed the social commentary woven in. Curator: Well, aren't all objects relics of political decisions on some level? The beauty of this piece is how slyly it delivers its punch. We look at the lovely rendering of a fountain, then BAM!, social commentary! Editor: I love how you connected the dots between art, satire, and history, I learned something new! Thanks. Curator: My pleasure, sometimes, the best view is a long, backward glance.