Spotprent op het mislukken van de feesten bij de viering van het 450-jarig jubileum van het Sacrament van Mirakel, 1820 1820

This etching, made by an anonymous artist in 1820, captures the failed festivities of the 450th-anniversary celebration of the Sacrament of Mirakel. The composition is structured around contrasting scenes, from the chaotic revelry at the base to the symbolic imagery above, creating a visual hierarchy that guides our interpretation. The artist employs line and form to convey a sense of disorder and mockery. Observe the crowd, rendered with dense, chaotic lines suggesting disarray. Above, a cherubic figure mischievously directs a stream towards the festivities, linking the earthly celebration with a satirical commentary on its failings. A stylized goose atop a pole, radiating light, further emphasizes the disrupted symbolism. The semiotic interplay between the goose, a symbol of the sacred, and the chaotic scene below destabilizes any fixed meaning of the event. Note the artist’s strategic use of space and scale, and how this functions not just aesthetically but also as a critical commentary on cultural and philosophical discourses. The artwork serves as a site of ongoing interpretation.