Spotprent over de kiestabel, 1885 1885

This political cartoon, made in 1885 by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans, presents us with striking symbols: a woman whose dress bears the words "KIESTABEL," or "Electoral Table," and a man in traditional garb waving goodbye. The act of bidding farewell, or “Abschied”, is a motif we see echoed across centuries. In medieval farewell scenes, the parting gesture, often a raised hand, signifies not just physical separation but also emotional and spiritual release. This gesture resurfaces throughout history, from classical friezes depicting soldiers departing for war to contemporary film stills of lovers separating, each instance layering new meanings onto the original archetype. The Electoral Table, adorned on the woman’s dress, seems to fade into the past as the gentleman waves it goodbye. These are not simply illustrations, they are imbued with a collective memory, stirring our deepest emotions and influencing the cyclical path of symbolic evolution.