Politieke spotprent, 1882 1882

This 1882 political cartoon, "Politieke spotprent," by Dutch artist Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans, depicts a satirical scene of a visitor inquiring about the "persons" within the political cabinet. The visitor is told that they are "underway or in the making," suggesting that the government is more concerned with appearances than with actual work. The use of the word "opgelapt," meaning "patched up," further reinforces this message. The cartoon's title "Ons Panoptikon," which refers to a type of prison designed for surveillance, further emphasizes the theme of secrecy and lack of transparency in government. The drawing's simple lines and expressive caricatures make it a powerful commentary on the political climate of the time.