Plundering van de winkel van de uitgevers Yntema & Tiboel, 1768 1768

This 1768 engraving depicts the ransacking of the Yntema & Tiboel publishing house. The most striking symbol here is the act of tearing and throwing books, a potent image of cultural disruption. Consider how this act of iconoclasm echoes across time. We see similar destruction in the burning of forbidden texts throughout history, from ancient Alexandria to Nazi Germany. The act of destroying books is not merely about eliminating paper and ink; it’s an attempt to erase ideas, to suppress dissenting voices. The crowd's frenzied energy in this engraving reflects a collective emotional state, a kind of cathartic release through destruction. It is as if the crowd is purging itself of unwanted ideas. The cycle of censorship and resistance continues, with books becoming symbols of both oppression and liberation. It shows how collective memory shapes our present actions.