Hier hebje twaalf paar neusen / als reusen; Om eens de keyken / wie ze best gelyken. 1725 - 1780

This color woodcut, whose title translates to 'Here are twelve pairs of noses, like giants,' was created by Johannes Kannewet in Amsterdam. The composition is rigidly structured, dividing the page into neat rectangles, each framing a caricature of a face in profile. The arrangement of these grotesque profiles, with their exaggerated noses, invites semiotic analysis. Each portrait, with its distinctive hat, collar, and expression, functions as a signifier, pointing to societal roles and human folly. Note how the stylized lines and the application of color—limited to blues and reds—flatten the figures, reducing them to types rather than individuals. The print taps into a broader cultural discourse of physiognomy. Here, the nose becomes a symbol of character, distorted and amplified to reveal supposed inner truths. This unsettling blend of humor and moral judgment reflects the anxieties and preoccupations of its time, offering a stark, visually arresting commentary on human nature.