Satire: Scatalogical subjects 1594 - 1678

Salomon Savery created this engraving entitled "Satire: Scatalogical Subjects" in the 17th century. It's a dense and complex image, reflective of a society grappling with its own contradictions. Savery presents us with a carnivalesque scene. The figures engage in a series of vulgar acts, a commentary on the perceived moral decay of the time. Yet, the work transcends mere moralizing. It's a satire, a pointed critique of societal norms and hierarchies. Class distinctions are blurred as people from all walks of life engage in the same base acts. Savery doesn't shy away from the grotesque, instead, he leans into it. This challenges the idealized images of the Dutch Golden Age. The blatant display of bodily functions is unsettling. The engraving suggests a society that, beneath its veneer of prosperity and piety, is struggling with its own flaws and hypocrisies. This is a world where the human body, in all its messy reality, becomes a site of both shame and liberation.