Spotprent op de Romeinse kwestie, 1862 1862

In 1862, Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans created this print addressing the Roman Question, a complex political issue concerning the Pope's sovereignty in Rome amidst Italian unification. The cartoon depicts three figures in a bed draped with a canopy labeled "Rome." Boots scattered on the floor suggest a hasty departure, adding a layer of intrigue to the scene. The expressions on the faces of the three figures tucked in bed range from agitation to stoicism. This satire speaks volumes about the power dynamics and ideological conflicts of the time. Crans uses caricature to comment on the tensions between political ambitions and religious authority, offering a glimpse into the anxieties surrounding Italian unification and the papacy's uncertain future. Through a domestic scene Crans critiques the political theater of 19th-century Europe.