Politieman en pastoor als marionetten 1875 - 1900

Jan de Waardt created this drawing, "Politieman en pastoor als marionetten" using graphite and charcoal. Dominating the composition are two stark figures suspended above a crowd. The artist exaggerates features to transform a policeman and a pastor into grotesque puppets. De Waardt uses line and shading to emphasize their cartoonish and sinister qualities. The crowd below, rendered with looser strokes, appears to reach upwards in a mix of supplication and desperation. The structural dichotomy between the crisp, controlled lines of the puppets and the chaotic strokes of the crowd introduces a narrative of power and manipulation. Semiotically, the policeman holds a “WET,” Law, alluding to control. The pastor presents masks, symbolizing duplicity. This visual language, combined with the work's title, suggests a critique of institutional authority as a form of puppetry over the masses. Ultimately, the drawing invites us to consider how representations of authority are constructed and how they function within a socio-political landscape, questioning the authenticity of power.