Ziet hier, o kinderen, iets raars: / Een ganschen stoet van bedelaars [(...)] 1800 - 1833

This print, made by Hermanus Numan, likely dates to the late 18th century. It shows an assortment of beggars depicted in a series of vignettes. The printmaking process would have involved carving images and text into a block, applying ink, and pressing it onto paper. The deliberate choice of printmaking suggests a desire to disseminate these images widely. This was a period when print became the medium for social critique and political discourse, as the laboring classes grew in prominence. There is a striking contrast here between the relative ease and affordability of the printing process, and the abject poverty of the characters it represents. The repetitive nature of print production mirrors the relentless cycle of poverty. Numan's work, while seemingly a detached observation of the lower classes, inadvertently highlights the economic disparities of his time. By considering the material and social context of this print, we can better understand its deeper implications about labor, class, and the distribution of wealth.