Dansend dwergenpaar, 1720 1718 - 1720

Jacob Folkema created this engraving, Dansend dwergenpaar, around 1720. The image presents a dancing couple and speaks to the cultural fascination with ‘outsider’ figures that was prevalent in the Dutch Republic at the time. We can read the image through the lens of social norms and power structures. The presence of the dancing couple raises questions about how the Dutch Republic viewed those who were physically different. Were they objects of amusement, subjects of curiosity, or figures of respect? The image is accompanied by text in both French and German, suggesting that this was an image made for distribution among the educated classes. To truly understand its place in Dutch society, we would need to investigate the social attitudes of the time. By consulting historical documents, literature, and other visual sources, we can better understand the complex relationship between art, representation, and social identity.