Ik bied my needrig aen voor burgers, heeren, boeren, / met myn ervaren beer, die braef zyn pligten doet, / Geef menschen. toch één cent voor zyne vieze toeren / En denkt : 't is wel besteed aen zoo een armen bloed 1833 - 1900

Dirk van Lubeek created this etching around 1780; it is a window into the world of itinerant street performers. The central symbol, of course, is the bear itself. The dancing bear, a motif stretching back to antiquity, here embodies both the spectacle of the wild tamed and the precariousness of human existence. The bear becomes a mirror reflecting our own struggles for survival and dignity. Consider the bear in contrast to the lyre-playing Apollo of ancient Greece, who also wielded power over beasts through music. Yet, while Apollo's control signifies divine harmony, the dancing bear speaks more to a base, earthly need. The image taps into our collective memory, our subconscious recognition of the primal link between humanity and nature. The pathos of the "poor blood" seeking a meager coin resonates even now, reminding us of the cyclical, recurring nature of human struggle, forever imprinted in our cultural psyche.