Spotprent met minister Heemskerk als Aeneas, 1888 1888

This 1888 print by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans portrays Minister Heemskerk as Aeneas. The minister carries a figure resembling his political charge on his back, leading a child, presumably representing the future of the Netherlands, away from a burning backdrop. The archetype of Aeneas carrying his father, Anchises, out of burning Troy, speaks to the weight of tradition and the burden of responsibility. The Aeneas motif echoes in countless images across time, each adapted to its cultural moment, yet always carrying the seed of its origin. Consider how it appears in Renaissance paintings, linking classical virtue with Christian piety, or in revolutionary prints, recasting Aeneas as a leader saving his nation from tyranny. This political cartoon uses the classical symbol of the hero to comment on the contemporary political landscape of the Netherlands, demonstrating that even in the world of politics, the old archetypes resurface, ready to be reinterpreted.