Spotprent op de stinkende grachten te Den Haag, 1871 1871

"Spotprent op de stinkende grachten te Den Haag, 1871," is a satirical cartoon by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans, created in 1871. The drawing depicts a woman in an elegant dress, holding a parasol, walking through a filthy canal filled with garbage and rats. The caption, "De Haagsce Stedemaagd. Doenit in sordide malier formosa superne," implies that the woman is supposed to be the city of The Hague, but her appearance is shockingly filthy. The artwork's exaggerated style and satirical message are characteristic of Dutch spotprenten, a genre of satirical prints that flourished in the 19th century.