print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.9625
- Title
-
Object: Arlequyn Actionist
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Series: Het Groote Tafereel der Dwaasheid
- Description
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Satire on the financial crisis of 1720: Scaramouche and Harlequin hold back a curtain on either side to reveal rue Quinquempoix with shops selling shares and cabbages, where three men stand on a square pedestal formed of boxes of 'Engelse Narre kappen' (English fools' caps), 'Fransche Narre kappen (French fools' caps) and 'Duitsche Narre kappen' (German/Dutch fools' caps); one man wearing spectacles is reading from a paper marked "Project", the other two pour coins through a funnel into the mouth of a man who squats in front of them, his breeches pulled down, who defecates papers representing speculative schemes which are grasped by a crowd below. In the mêlée a a man selling cabbages falls to the ground; two men scramble on the ground for shar certificates and a paper lettered 'Viane' ; two others, bare their backsides breaking wind labelled "Z[uid] Z[ee]" and "Mississippi" as they bend to gather up coins. In the right foreground, Mercury imprisoned in a large birdcage, cries 'Ach! Verlost me' (Oh! Release me) as a man pumps air into the cage with bellows; his captor kneels beside the cage gesturing towards dice, cards and conjuror's cups lying on the ground; a monkey sits in the centre with two bags of coins and a paper lettered 'Nul'. The title appears on a ribbon held by an owl, which is breaking wind, at the top of the print with, on either side, festoons comprising a bunch of carrots, a calf's head, two bottles, two parcels, fish and a horn, a mask, four tobacco pipes, another calf's head, a scythe, bagpipes, cheeses, two mice, two bladders and another mask. 1720
Engraving
- Production date
- 1720
- Dimensions
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Height: 234 millimetres
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Width: 187 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
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The print is the frontispiece to a comedy of the same name. (See comment BM 1868-0808-9606)
The inscription Viane refers to the saying 'de verliezers worden gezonden naar Vianen en Kuilenburg' or 'naar Vianen en Kuilenburg reizen' (see Comment to 1868,0808.9608)
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One of a collection of prints bound together in two volumes c.1721 known as 'Het Groote Tafereel der Dwaasheid'; for more information, see 1868,0808.9602.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated events
- Associated Event: Financial Bubbles 1720
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.9625
