"Et politisk Raad sender Spekhökeren Fornuften til Raadsherre." 1787

This small, anonymous etching depicts a political council sending "Reason," personified by a wig, to a council member. Notice the wig, a potent symbol of authority and intellect during the Enlightenment. It isn't merely headwear; it embodies the very essence of rational thought and governance. The act of bestowing the wig carries echoes of ancient investiture rituals, where symbols of power were transferred to legitimize authority. Yet, the wig's presentation is laced with irony. It's given by what appears to be a commoner sitting on a barrel, perhaps a merchant. This juxtaposition is fascinating. The wig, typically associated with the elite, is now mediated through a figure of the everyday, suggesting a shift in power dynamics. We are invited to consider the cyclical nature of symbols, and the potential for subversion embedded within them. The emotional power here lies in this interplay of expectation and its disruption.