Spotprent over de grondwetsherziening, 1886 1886

This print, made in 1886 by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans, engages with the debates around constitutional reform in the Netherlands. It is a relatively modest work, just a simple black-and-white print, likely made with a combination of etching and engraving. The scale and the materials indicate that this was a work intended for mass consumption, distributed through newspapers or pamphlets. The artist’s labor is evident in the intricate lines that define the figure's clothing and the setting. The print's texture and tone are results of the etching process, where acid is used to bite into the metal plate, leaving behind the drawn image. The artist is using his craft as a form of political commentary, speaking directly to the public about the key issues of the day. It cleverly blends high and low culture by referencing the famous "to be or not to be" soliloquy from Shakespeare's Hamlet, but making it about local politics. This democratizes intellectual thought, bringing it out of the theater and into the streets.