Spotprent 1877

Curator: So here we have "Spotprent," an engraving made in 1877 by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans. The title translates to "Cartoon" in English. It looks like a history painting in terms of theme, rendered with sharp lines in monochrome. Editor: My first thought? Stately. There’s an almost classical, sculptural quality despite being a print. The stark blacks and whites really emphasize the figures against what is quite an empty background. It almost feels… allegorical, in a way. Curator: That’s perceptive! The figure in classical dress could very well be an allegorical representation. What do you make of the plume of smoke and the column? Editor: Ah, now that feels symbolic, perhaps of industry, of things advancing rapidly, and maybe the figure’s lighting that signals a… message or change? The object she’s holding... almost looks like a tool of some kind, not a ceremonial scepter, but one designed to work! I like how this image gives such old cues to such an abrupt view. Curator: This was a time of massive industrial expansion and technological change across Europe. If we notice the text at the top of the cartoon: "De Telefoon, Een Nieuwe Praatverorderaar". Editor: Wow, telephone, okay that is really neat! Curator: It is! Given that the artist lived and worked in the Netherlands during the period when it became one of the first continental countries to industrialize, it becomes very likely that Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans comments on modernity using allegory from classicism. Editor: Absolutely, with the allegory drawing from that symbolic and intellectual visual toolbox... It's pretty funny once you've seen "the phone". It also changes our perception, and the character transforms as the new, bringing a "new prattling" - now that is witty! I'm glad to have considered how old can be so new! Curator: Indeed, the context clarifies so much of the artist’s intent and allows us to truly engage with the themes being expressed here. And isn't it fascinating to consider how new technologies continue to impact political discourse today? Editor: That's a good reflection for an art piece so removed from today!