Spotprent op de Spaanse haan, 1645 Possibly 1645

This satirical print, made in Amsterdam in 1645, wields the symbolic power of the animal kingdom to dissect political tensions. The central figure is a rooster, Spain, adorned with the attire of nobility, a parody of power. Roosters have long crowed through art history. From ancient Greek pottery, where they symbolized aggression and vigilance, to their later association with pride and watchfulness, as seen in Renaissance emblems. Here, however, the rooster is mocked. The artist diminishes its potent symbolism by depicting it as pompous and foolish, weighed down by extravagant garments and a haughty demeanor. This is a modern take on the animal, transforming it into a symbol of vanity and inflated ego. The artist taps into the deep-seated human tendency to project our own traits onto animals. By lampooning the Spanish, they engage our own pride, our own vigilance against perceived threats. It is through such images that collective memory is shaped, and a nation's identity reinforced. The rooster evolves, its cries echoing through the ages, now a symbol of political ridicule.