Dood komt met de anti-vaccinatie 1920 - 1930

Patricq Kroon sketched this stark image of Death with ink, depicting the figure as an anti-vaccination advocate. Death is a well-known symbol representing the end of life, often illustrated as a skeleton. Here, Death is seen striding forward, carrying a scythe inscribed with "Anti-Vaccinatie." Notice the numerical tombstones in the foreground, from four to eleven, which may reference ages or stages of life cut short. Death himself wears a hat and coat of the time, bringing this archaic symbol into modernity. The crows flying above remind us of the birds that circle battlefields. In other contexts, Death is the great leveler, and is traditionally seen as an unavoidable aspect of the life cycle. However, here, he takes on the role of an adversary, an active agent against medical intervention. It seems the artist aimed to provoke deep-seated fears and anxieties related to mortality and public health. This image is both a reflection of societal tensions and a stark reminder of our collective vulnerability. The ever-recurring theme of our mortality, and what causes it, takes on new life in this image, which connects to cultural anxieties of a specific moment.