Spotprent op het Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken, 1868 1867

This print, made in 1868 by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans, depicts a bird's-eye view of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, over which looms a figure representing the Dutch Maiden, her gaze drawn to the building. The Dutch Maiden, or *Nederlandse Maagd*, a national personification, is shown here holding a staff capped with a hat—a symbol of liberty and national identity. This figure is a complex one, her roots stretching back to classical antiquity in representations of female allegories of nations and virtues. In the Renaissance, we see similar figures emerging, embodying civic virtues and local identities, a powerful and enduring symbol. The Dutch Maiden’s curiosity towards the Ministry suggests a yearning for transparency and reform. This image encapsulates the collective desires and anxieties of a nation at a crucial juncture in its history. The echoes of such figures remind us that these images continue to exert a profound influence on our cultural consciousness.