Spotprent over het vervuilde water in Den Haag, 1884 1884

Curator: Ah, look at this intriguing lithograph, dating back to 1884. The title translates to "Cartoon about the polluted water in The Hague." It's signed by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans. Editor: Whew, just from the looks of it, you can almost smell whatever that cartoon is depicting. Everyone's holding their noses! There's definitely a sense of immediate discomfort. Curator: Precisely! The artist employs caricature to satirize a very real public health crisis. Note how the city officials, despite their formal attire, are clearly repulsed by what’s before them. Editor: And what *is* before them? Looks like they're standing near some canal... "Zwart Water," it reads... which I imagine is less "dark water" as much as something considerably less palatable, as a literal reading, even in 1884. Curator: Spot on! "Zwart Water" literally means "black water," referring to the polluted canals. The text below explains the Mayor welcomes visitors in town, convinced it is to study the issue of liquid feces at the spot... What do you make of its layout? Editor: I am especially curious how Schmidt Crans deployed a slightly elevated vantage point to amplify both the officials and, of course, the rather vivid bodies of water below in all their disgusting detail. You get a really intense juxtaposition that makes for excellent comedy... It really is about the material—or, better put, *immaterial* stench. Curator: Indeed. Beyond its immediate satire, the print offers a telling glimpse into 19th-century urban realities, of industrial development bringing problems that we have learned a lot from since that congress. Editor: It just proves some problems, like that of keeping one’s water from getting fetid, unfortunately stays pertinent far longer than others. Schmidt Crans' critique holds a mirror to issues still bubbling up, so to speak, in modern cities everywhere. Curator: Well put. It's a potent blend of dark humor and sober social commentary. Editor: Exactly. Sometimes the sharpest art stinks the most.