Spotprent op de opening van de Tweede Kamer na het kerstreces, 1865 1865

This 1865 satirical cartoon, "Spotprent op de opening van de Tweede Kamer na het kerstreces," by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans depicts the opening of the Dutch parliament, the Tweede Kamer, following the Christmas recess. The caricature depicts a group of men crowding around a figure in a top hat, presumably the speaker, who is banging a gavel. Crans uses humor and exaggeration to critique the proceedings, with a book labeled "Vergadering van D.A. Thieme en Machiel Nijhoff," suggesting a focus on petty matters rather than important political issues.