Spotprent op de bisschop van Munster na het mislukte beleg van de stad Groningen, 1672 1672

This anonymous print from 1672, now held at the Rijksmuseum, satirizes the Bishop of Munster following his failed siege of Groningen. Observe the bishop mounted on horseback, a figure of authority, yet here made ludicrous. Consider the allegorical scales he carries: in one pan, symbols of wealth and power; in the other, a jester's cap, signifying folly. Such a device echoes through centuries of art, recalling the "memento mori" tradition, where scales measure life's fleeting balance, an image that can be traced back to ancient judicial scenes. Here, the scales are comically skewed, suggesting the bishop's judgment is equally unbalanced. The composition strikes at something deeper. The jester mocks authority and reminds us of the precarious nature of power. It serves as a visual anchor that tethers the anxieties about the consequences of hubris. The viewer is invited to not only witness but also psychologically participate in the unraveling of power. Such symbols, like echoes, reverberate through time.