Spotprent op een lid van de Eerste Kamer, 1883 1883

This print by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans, dating back to 1883, presents us with a Dutch politician holding a pair of scissors with determination. The scissors, an everyday tool, here transform into a symbol of surgical precision, hinting at the act of cutting away, or perhaps cutting ties. Observe how the gesture echoes across time: we see similar actions in depictions of the Fates, those ancient Greek goddesses who measured, spun, and snipped the threads of life. This motif is not just about literal cutting; it's about control, decision, and the severing of what once was. The image of the scissors, laden with historical and psychological weight, engages us on a subconscious level. It speaks to our own anxieties about change and the inevitable end of things. The power of this symbol lies in its non-linear journey through art history, resurfacing and evolving in meaning, yet always retaining its core essence of transformation.