Lijkvers op het staken van de uitgave van het tijdschrift 'Ouderwetsche Nederlandsche patriot', 1781 1781

This broadside, made in 1781 by an anonymous artist, is a printed political statement. Its materials are simple – ink on paper – but its mode of production is central to its purpose. As a printed sheet, it could be quickly and widely distributed, and here it's being used to make a satirical point about the demise of a publication called "Ouderwetsche Nederlandsche Patriot" or "Old-Fashioned Dutch Patriot". The text, presented as a “lijkdicht,” or funeral poem, is dense and tightly packed, typical of printed ephemera intended for mass consumption. The quality of the printing, which is somewhat crude, underscores its function as a disposable artifact, meant to be read, shared, and then discarded. The labor involved in its production is also significant. From the typesetting and printing to the distribution of the broadside, a network of workers would have been involved, all contributing to its dissemination of political commentary, reflecting wider issues of labor, politics and consumption during this time. This broadside, therefore, is not just an example of graphic design, but also a material witness to the social and political landscape of the late 18th century, blurring any simple distinction between art and craft.