Spotprent met gefingeerd portret van Jan Salie, 1873 1873

This caricature of "Jan Salie" was created in 1873 by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans. It is a satirical portrait of a man whose very name is a byword for stagnation and resistance to change, reflecting the social and political tensions of the Netherlands at the time. Schmidt Crans renders Jan Salie with exaggerated features, underscoring his perceived backwardness. It's important to remember that satire like this isn't neutral. It's a tool used to reinforce certain social norms and power structures while ridiculing those who deviate. In this case, "Jan Salie" becomes a symbol of everything that the artist and his audience may have seen as holding the country back from progress. What feelings does this image evoke in you? Does it make you think about the ways that societies can valorize change while also demonizing those who resist it? How might our understanding of progress and tradition shift depending on our own positions within society?