De verslagen actionist in de rinkelstoel, 1720 1720

This anonymous etching, "De verslagen actionist in de rinkelstoel," was made in 1720. It satirizes the financial chaos caused by the Mississippi Company bubble and the South Sea Bubble. The image is packed with allegorical figures and scenes representing the folly and ruin of speculative investment. Its visual language draws from popular prints and morality tales. Made in the Netherlands during a period of intense economic anxiety, the print reflects widespread distrust of financial innovation. The central figure sits in a "rinkelstoel"—a chair that makes noise—symbolizing the empty promises of the stock market. Around him, chaos unfolds. Figures fall from the sky, ships sink, and investors despair. The windmill in the background may allude to the speculative nature of the market, grinding up fortunes as easily as grain. To fully understand this image, we would need to consult period financial records, political pamphlets, and popular literature. The meaning of this artwork is not inherent but emerges from its complex relationship to the social and economic forces of its time.