Twee mannen voor de etalage van een prenthandel 1806

This undated print shows two men looking into the window of a print shop. Print shops in eighteenth-century Europe weren't just commercial spaces. They also functioned as public forums for the circulation of political ideas. Looking closely, we can see that the window in this image is filled with satirical caricatures, a popular genre at the time. Caricatures like these were often commissioned by political parties to mock their opponents. These images could be widely distributed and were displayed in public spaces like print shop windows for people to see. The print includes speech bubbles, as if the artist is inviting us to listen in on the men's conversation. The speaker seems anxious about being seen looking at the images in the window, as if it's not something he's supposed to be doing. To better understand the significance of prints like this, it helps to learn about the history of printmaking and how images were used to shape public opinion.