Politieke spotprent over West-Indië, 1882 1882

Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans created this political cartoon about the West Indies in 1882. The central figure, a languid woman on a boat surrounded by lush vegetation, embodies the West Indies. Her weary posture and the boat adrift in the water evoke a sense of abandonment. This motif of a reclining figure in a boat is ancient. We see echoes of Cleopatra on her barge, or even the souls ferried across the river Styx. Here, the symbol is charged with a melancholic resignation, as seen in the quote, "Netherlands! Netherlands! Will you do nothing for me – yet I can give so much!" Consider the psychological weight of abandonment. It’s not merely a political critique but a deeply felt emotional cry. The image resonates because it taps into our collective memory of loss and neglect, a theme that transcends time and culture, reappearing in various forms throughout history, each time colored by the specific anxieties of its age.