Spotprent op de koloniale kwestie, 1869 1869

This is Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans' political cartoon on the colonial question, created in 1869. It is executed with thin, precise lines. The composition is stark: a precarious wooden platform juts out over an abyss marked with the words "The Colonial Question." The artist uses line to create depth and tension. The figures on the platform are rendered with more detail than the stylized, almost scribbled, cliff faces. This contrast draws our attention to the human element of the colonial issue and the chasm symbolizes the risks and uncertainties of colonial policy. The bridge metaphor in the caption underscores the necessity to approach the colonial question with care rather than rashness. The artist employs a structuralist approach, presenting the colonial question as a binary opposition, a gap that needs to be bridged. The drawing challenges a singular, fixed interpretation, inviting viewers to consider diverse perspectives on colonialism.