Spotprent met Sir Robert Peel als goochelaar Possibly 1845 - 1846

Curator: What grabs me first about this lithograph by John Doyle, probably from 1845 or 1846, is its surprisingly whimsical feel. A touch mischievous, don't you think? Editor: Definitely. You can see the labor just in the fine details of the crosshatching used to create a political caricature intended for mass consumption and wide distribution. Curator: Absolutely! "Spotprent met Sir Robert Peel als goochelaar" depicts Peel, the then-Prime Minister, as a magician, or perhaps more accurately, a charlatan performing for a skeptical audience at St. Stephen's Chapel. The looks on their faces—it’s pure satire! Editor: It’s fascinating how Doyle critiques Peel’s policies through the lens of theatrical performance, highlighting a disconnect between Peel’s actions and the interests of his constituents, who probably commissioned such a drawing as this one to reflect an unfavorable attitude toward him. Curator: And the composition… the sheer number of figures Doyle manages to fit into this scene is remarkable. Everyone seems to be muttering their own doubts or grievances. What do you make of it? Editor: I agree, you feel a clear tension between Peel and his parliamentary colleagues; but look at those candles—they almost seem to represent a source of wealth creation, with Peel seemingly pulling at that source to enrich himself as the elites he stood for. Curator: I love that read! I’m also stuck on the tiny speech bubbles floating above the crowd—little whispers of dissent that undercut Peel’s authority. Almost feels… anticipatory of political memes as they are today, right? Editor: Without the means of mass production of paper and ink this artwork may not have even been possible. Now it sits here on display hundreds of years later to represent how social tensions between parliamentarians still endure to this day. Curator: It’s like we’re still having that conversation, isn't it? Amazing how political art endures and the value of satirical illustration as well. Editor: I can appreciate seeing how different this lithograph drawing looks from our day-to-day consumption of modern image making techniques, it puts how artwork becomes social messaging through production and consumption into perspective.