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Satirical Print Poking Fun at Greed and John Law

Engraved print satirizing greed in the context of the share trade mania and the collapse of various investment schemes known as the Mississippi Bubble and the South Sea Bubble. The complex outdoor scene shows a group of people rushing towards the top of a steep precipice, as a horse-drawn carriage and three men fall off the edge. In the right foreground an angler sits at the edge of a pond surrounded by three people (including a woman with a mirror and a snake); on the left two men fish with a net, behind them one man with an empty money chest and a woman crying; behind the woman an unprotected man sticks his bare hand into a teeming beehive.  

The top center of the print is crowned by a roundel with a portrait of John Law.

In the middle of the composition is a Fury before which a man bows obsequiously.

Fortune (in the upper right) elegantly balanced astride her globe. 

The Dutch title can also be translated as "Cupitity Tries to Catch Up with Fortune or Pass it By."

Another line tranlsates as: "Law, you deserve much notice, because you have surpassed all that could've been imagined, if we had not most clearly and for a long time seen that covetousness has often deceived Wisdom."

Context of Financial Crisis of 1720

The Mississippi Bubble was a financial crisis in early 18th century France, primarily between 1719-1720. John Law, a Scottish financier who became the Controller General of Finances for the French government, proposed opening Louisiana to trade to help alleviate France's financial problems. To achieve this, he founded the Mississippi Company, later known as the Company of the West, and was granted a monopoly on trade in the French territories in North America, including the Mississippi River region.

Law's banking schemes, particularly through his Banque Générale Privée (later the Banque Royale), played a central role in the bubble. The bank issued paper money, which people used to buy shares in the Mississippi Company. The company's shares soared as the public believed in the lucrative potential of the ventures in Louisiana.

However, by 1720, it became clear that the company's profits were not as substantial as expected. As panic set in, there was a rapid sell-off of shares, causing the prices to plummet. The resulting financial collapse destroyed the Banque Générale Privée and led to a significant economic crisis in France. John Law fled the country, leaving many investors ruined and the French economy in disarray.

In summary, this humorous engraving serves as a reflection of the financial crisis of 1720, offering a satirical portrayal of speculative activities, irrational exuberance, and the subsequent downfall. It provides a striking visual artifact on the events of the time and serves as a reminder of the risks and follies associated with financial speculation.