Spotprent op de maatregelen van Thorbecke bij de bestrijding van de runderpest, 1865 1865

This satirical cartoon by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans, titled "Spotprent op de maatregelen van Thorbecke bij de bestrijding van de runderpest," depicts the Dutch Prime Minister, Johan Rudolph Thorbecke, standing stoically while men struggle to move barrels during a 1865 cattle plague. The image critiques Thorbecke’s policies aimed at containing the deadly disease, portraying them as ineffective. The artist uses visual exaggeration and irony to emphasize the government's failings, highlighting the struggles of the common man in a time of crisis. This caricature exemplifies the power of visual art in social commentary and political discourse.