Spotprent op de benoeming van professor Opzoomer, 1871 1871

This is Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans’s 1871 cartoon, a satirical commentary on the appointment of Professor Opzoomer. The cartoon reflects the socio-political tensions within the academic and religious circles of the Netherlands during this period. Note how Opzoomer is enthroned on a carriage, holding a book labeled "Godsdienst" or Religion. He is being paraded, seemingly against the will of the allegorical figure of Philosophy who is on the ground, mourning. Behind the carriage is a figure who represents Theology, holding a laurel wreath above Opzoomer’s head as if to sanctify his rise to power. This caricature speaks to the shifting power dynamics between religious doctrine and philosophical thought, and prompts us to consider how the dominant ideologies of an era are constructed and contested. How do such shifts in academic appointments reflect broader societal changes? What emotions do you think the artist sought to evoke?