Monument ter herinnering aan de dwaasheid van het jaar 1720 1720

This 1720 engraving by Bernard Picart, titled "Monument ter herinnering aan de dwaasheid van het jaar 1720," depicts the South Sea Bubble, a financial crisis that occurred in England. The print satirizes the greed and folly of the time, showing a frenzied crowd of investors chasing after wealth in a chaotic scene. The image is rich in symbolic detail, including a wheel of fortune, a naked woman representing the alluring but ultimately destructive nature of speculation. The artwork serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of unchecked financial speculation and the cyclical nature of economic bubbles.