Spotprent over de tractementen van de diplomaten, 1865 1865

"Spotprent over de tractementen van de diplomaten" is a satirical cartoon by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans from 1865, using the visual style of the time period. It depicts a man in a uniform, likely a diplomat, being denied bread by a woman because of his exorbitant salary. The artwork critiques the high salaries of diplomats, a topic of public debate in the Netherlands during the 19th century. The cartoon’s text refers to a debate in the Dutch Parliament about diplomatic spending. Crans’s sharp wit and use of visual humor make this an effective political commentary, relevant to the social climate of the time.