Toren van verdragen gesloten op conferenties, 1922 1922

This drawing, "Tower of Treaties Concluded at Conferences," was made in 1922 by Patricq Kroon using pen and ink. The cartoon depicts two men resting atop a tottering stack of agreements and treaties. The drawing satirizes the ineffectiveness of post-World War I peace conferences, which began with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Kroon seems to be commenting on the futility of these endless meetings. The location names evoke a sense of international cooperation, but the exaggerated form suggests a more critical view. The precariousness of the tower is evident. It suggests that these agreements are fragile and unstable. To understand Kroon's intent fully, one must delve into the history of these conferences, examining their outcomes and reception. Contemporary newspaper accounts and diplomatic records would give us a fuller understanding of Kroon’s perspective. Art history, after all, is fundamentally social history.