Tekstblad behorend bij een onbekende spotprent op Don Juan, 1578 1578

This broadside, made anonymously in 1578, uses text printed on paper to convey political satire. But, it is not just the message that matters; it is also the medium. The printing press, since its invention a century earlier, had become a powerful tool for disseminating ideas, especially during the Reformation. The relatively low cost of paper and printing allowed for wider distribution of information than ever before. This accessibility challenged traditional hierarchies of knowledge and power. Consider the crispness of the lettering, achieved through careful typesetting and the mechanical action of the press. This precision lends an air of authority to the text, even as it challenges the authority of those in power. The layout, with its dense columns of text, speaks to the urgency of the message. The broadside is not merely a carrier of information; it is a material object that participates in the social and political struggles of its time. It reminds us that even the most ephemeral forms of communication have a material basis, and that this basis shapes their meaning.