An autopsy on an investor in the Dutch speculation boom of 1720 reveals that he had died of an excess of air, representing lack of value in the shares. Etching, 1720.
- Date:
- [1720?]
- Reference:
- 17577i
- Part of:
- Groote tafereel der dwaasheid.
- Pictures
Selected images from this work
View 2 imagesAbout this work
Description
Five doctors conduct the autopsy: they open the abdomen to find the intestines, and two of them hold up bladders, containing only air. The left-most doctor points towards the sun, which is on the horizon. Under the table, a man (John Law) sets fire to the globe. He holds a sheet of paper in his hand which reads: 'Ik waag 'er de wereld aan'. A devil pumps a bellows full of 'wind-negotie' to destroy the world. To the left a boy representing Simplicity pours liquid upon the burning southern hemisphere. Towards the front of the scene a man sleeps in a cot; a sheet of paper rests upon him, reading: 'Om dat de schyn bedriegt, ben ik in slaap gewiegt'. To the left, a another investor is being blindfolded by the devil while monkeys steal his purse. In the distance, Bombario (the personification of the trade in over-valued shares) rides off on a winged hydra towards the sun: he is going to Vianen, a city open to people seeking refuge from bankruptcy
Publication/Creation
Physical description
Lettering
References note
Reference
Notes
Type/Technique
Languages
Where to find it
Location Status Access Closed stores