Spotprent over de Wereldtentoonstelling te Amsterdam, 1883 1883

This caricature by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans was made to commemorate the World Exhibition in Amsterdam in 1883. The image presents us with a satirical view on the concepts of international brotherhood and exploitation. Here, visual codes and cultural references combine to critique the social structures of the time. The caricature depicts a group of figures from various nations raising their glasses in a toast, while a Black man stands behind them, arms raised. His headwear of wheat implies a certain naivety and an association with labor and the land. The text beneath the image reads: "Ladies and Gentlemen! To international brotherhood and exploitation!" The artist seems to imply that the fine words of ‘brotherhood’ were just a front for the exploitation of other countries. In studying this image further, historians would explore the economic and political conditions of the 1880s, including documentation about Dutch colonialism and the World Exhibition itself. This piece reminds us that art often reflects and challenges the social norms of its time.