Uitzuigers, gezag en verdrukking 1890s - 1900s

Jan de Waardt created this drawing called "Leechers, Authority and Oppression," using pen and India ink, freely after Jüttner. De Waardt was a Dutch artist whose life and work intersected with significant social and political issues of his time. This piece appears to critique authority, using a chain of figures to visualize a system of oppression. The figures at the top, dressed in formal attire, place their hands on the backs of those below, creating a human pyramid of power. The person at the bottom is crushed under the weight, a stark representation of exploitation. The emotional weight of this image is heavy; one can imagine the physical and psychological toll on those who are burdened by the system. De Waardt seems to ask us to consider the human cost of unchecked authority.