Jupiter as the god of the sky and Mercury as the god of trade pass over the land on a cloud; below, men engaged in speculative share dealings in the Dutch share boom of 1720. Etching, 1720.
- Date:
- [1720?]
- Reference:
- 2500242i
- Part of:
- Groote tafereel der dwaasheid.
- Pictures
About this work
Description
A man in the centre using a mallet and chisel on a millstone is saying " 'k Bik dat ik zwiet", which is interpreted by Muller as a mocking allusion to members of the family of Bicker (van Zwieten), i.e the patrician family of Gerard Bicker van Swieten (1632-1716); "bikken meaning to chip or hack at something. Left of him is a man boring a pice of wood and saying " 'k Boor-eel", which Muller interprets as an allusion to members of the equally patrician Boreel family. Further right, a man labelled "Fay" is defecating. There are several other scenes. Left, an arid mountainous landscape; right a fertile wooded plain
Publication/Creation
[Amsterdam] : [publisher not identified], [1720?]
Physical description
1 print : etching, with engraving ; platemark 17 x 27.8 cm
Lettering
De wintgot, uytgebuldert hebbende, laat niet dan rampen na. Nu die actieramp heeft uytgewoet ... En daar mede is de brand gedaan.
Translation of heading: "The god of wind (speculation) has spent his fury and leaves only destruction behind." Below the heading, etched Dutch verses printed in four columns
Notes
'Het groote tafereel der dwaasheid', Amsterdam, 1720, is a collection of literary and pictorial satires relating to the Dutch speculation bubble of 1720, which occurred simultaneously with the South Sea bubble and the Mississippi bubble involving John Law. This print is one of the many in that collection: see A.H. Cole, op. cit.
References note
Frederik Muller, De nederlandsche geschiedenis in platen. Beredeneerde beschrijving van nederlandsche historieplaten, zinneprenten en historische kaarten, Amsterdam 1863, part 2, no. 3603 (68)
Not found in: British Museum, Catalogue of political and personal satires, vol. 2, London 1978
Arthur H. Cole, The great mirror of folly (Het groote tafereel der dwaasheid). An economic-bibliographical study, Boston 1949, no. 68
Reference
Wellcome Collection 2500242i
Type/Technique
Languages
Where to find it
Location Status Access Closed stores