Spotprent nav het wetsontwerp tot beperking van vergaderingen en optochten, 1886 1886

This is a caricature made in 1886 by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans depicting a carriage procession in the Netherlands, commenting on a law restricting public gatherings. Here, the procession becomes a charged symbol. Processions and parades—organized gatherings—have ancient roots, dating back to religious rituals, triumphal entries, and displays of power. Think of the Roman triumphs, or the ecstatic processions honoring Dionysus. Yet, within these displays of collective unity, lurks the potential for dissent, protest, and even revolution. The law evokes a deep ambivalence, reflecting a perennial tension between order and freedom, control and chaos. The image hints at a psychological struggle—an attempt to control the unpredictable energies of the crowd. It echoes through history, from the tightly controlled religious processions of the Middle Ages to the rebellious street demonstrations of modernity, illustrating the cyclical nature of power.