Spotprent op de verkiezingen in Pruisen, 1863 1863

This political cartoon was created by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans in 1863, commenting on the elections in Prussia. It is made using ink on paper, a traditional medium for the swift production of printed images. The stark black lines emphasize the tension and division in Prussian society, with figures struggling against a barrier labeled "DWANG" – meaning coercion or force. The artist uses the directness of line drawing to expose the political climate, where the act of voting is fraught with obstruction. The method of production and the materials directly serve the artwork's purpose as a piece of social commentary. The image shows the amount of "work" it takes to overcome political obstacles, and is meant to be reproduced and widely distributed. It challenges the viewer to consider the labor involved in maintaining freedom and democracy, and elevates what might be seen as a disposable piece of ephemera into a potent symbol of resistance.