Karikatuur van een belastinginner en een arme gitarist 1843

Édouard de Beaumont made this caricature of a tax collector and a poor guitarist using lithography. This print is part of a series called "Civilization in the Marquesas Islands" and it satirizes French colonial practices in the mid-19th century. The image depicts a stark contrast between the indigenous guitarist, dressed in rags, and the well-dressed tax collector accompanied by an assistant. Beaumont cleverly critiques the imposition of European taxation on a society ill-equipped to handle it. The juxtaposition of the guitarist's poverty against the collector's demand highlights the exploitative nature of colonialism. France, like other European powers, justified its colonial expansion with the idea of bringing civilization to other regions, yet this print exposes the hypocrisy of that claim. One could analyze colonial archives, travelogues, and economic reports to gain a deeper understanding. Beaumont's caricature reminds us that art can serve as a powerful tool for questioning the social and political norms of its time.