Spotprent 1878

"Spotprent" is a pen and ink illustration by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans, created in 1878. The work depicts a humorous scene, likely a satire on the use of statistics in government. The central figure is a man looking out a window in a tower, while ducks swim in a pool below. The image’s inscription, “Statistiek niet langer regeeringszaak” (Statistics are no longer government business), suggests a critique of the overreliance on data in decision-making. This is typical of Crans’s work, known for its satirical and often politically charged approach. The small size of the work, measuring only 275 mm in height and 215 mm in width, reflects the format of the magazine or publication in which it likely appeared.