Non Omnibus Dormit; Vigilanti Stertens Naso (Not Everyone Sleeps; The Vigilant Snores)

This Dutch engraving satirizes a sleeping farmer surrounded by officials and neighbors who gesture at his inert form. The Latin motto—"Not everyone sleeps; the vigilant snores"—mocks the corruption or negligence of authority figures. The composition follows Netherlandish print tradition, using numbered figures and explanatory text panels to guide viewers through layers of social criticism. Such prints preceded the caricature tradition of Hogarth and Gillray, establishing the visual language of moral satire that would eventually seed modern comic art: exaggerated anatomy, sequential narrative, and biting commentary on class and power. The engraving's formal restraint contrasts sharply with the chaos it depicts—a technique repeated in centuries of political cartooning.