Ziet hier een tweetal vagabonden, / Landloopers, luiaarts, met vier honden [(...)] 1806 - 1830

Johan Noman made this etching, titled "Ziet hier een tweetal vagabonden," sometime before 1833. The scene is composed around two standing figures, flanked by dogs standing upright. A winding leash floats above them, leading the eye across the composition. The artist uses line work to delineate each figure with tight cross hatching to suggest shadow. Noman's structured arrangement brings to mind a theatrical performance, with the characters precisely positioned on a shallow stage. The formal structure of the image suggests a commentary on social roles and expectations. Dogs dressed and posed as humans destabilize the fixed categories of nature versus culture, prompting questions about representation. Consider how Noman uses precise lines to emphasize the constructed nature of the image, prompting us to reflect on the act of seeing. The print is not just a depiction, but an invitation to decode a set of symbols.