Spotprent op de feesten bij de oprichting van het standbeeld van Jacob van Maerlant, 1860 1860

This is Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans' print from 1860, made in response to the festivities surrounding the statue of Jacob van Maerlant. The print offers a satirical commentary on cultural and political identities of the time. Schmidt Crans uses animal figures to represent different societal roles, a common trope in political cartoons. Notice how the lion, bearing a top hat and a letter, contrasts with the figure in the window, also a lion, casually smoking. Who are these lions meant to represent and what is the nature of their interaction? The female figure in the doorway seems to be handing something to the lion, but in the background the other lion seems to be enjoying watching her work. What does it mean that this figure is a woman? By using humor, the artist encourages viewers to question the values and power dynamics within their own society, while also revealing the artist’s own position within that structure. The artwork encapsulates the complex negotiations of identity and representation, inviting us to reflect on the stories we tell about ourselves and others.