Loterij op een podium, ca. 1720 1720 - 1733

Around 1720, Bernard Picart made this print called "Loterij op een podium," or "Lottery on a Stage." This busy scene depicts a lottery taking place outdoors, likely in the Netherlands. Lotteries in the 18th century were a very common way for states to raise revenue, and were often quite a spectacle, as we can see here. The image creates meaning by contrasting the structured, orderly lottery on stage with the chaos of the crowd. Picart seems interested in representing a wide variety of people, from different social classes, all caught up in the excitement. As a historian, I'm interested in what this tells us about Dutch society at the time. Was this a critique of the lottery as a form of social control? Was it a celebration of a shared public event? Further research into the history of lotteries and public spectacle in the Netherlands would help us understand Picart's point of view. Ultimately, the meaning of this artwork is inseparable from its social and institutional context.