Spotprent op de omheining om Rembrandts anatomische les van Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, 1869 1869

Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans created this print in 1869, a commentary rendered primarily in linear forms. Immediately, one is struck by the division of space, the ‘forbidden access’ implied through the use of a fence that bisects the composition. Above, we see a scene reminiscent of Rembrandt’s "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp," a moment of scientific exploration. Below, artists scavenge and peer, a commentary on the state of art and its relationship to the masters. The tools of art are laid bare, open for inspection, even as the act of creation is itself put under scrutiny. The cross-hatching that defines the fence is more than just a barrier, it is a visual metaphor for the constraints and criticisms faced by artists, a kind of semiotic code for the boundaries of artistic expression. Yet, by presenting this critique through a lens of historical reflection, Schmidt Crans invites us to consider the ongoing dialogue between past and present.