De dwerg Dan Hagel als een Hollandse bootsknecht, ca. 1710 1705 - 1715

Martin Engelbrecht's hand-colored engraving from around 1710, portrays a dwarf, Dan Hagel, as a Dutch boatman. The printmaking process itself, an intaglio method, involves incising lines into a metal plate, applying ink, and then transferring the image to paper under high pressure. Here, the sharp lines of the engraving define the figure's caricatured features, from his striped waistcoat to the plume in his hat. The added color, applied by hand, enhances the grotesque quality of the image. Engravings like these were produced in multiples, a product of the print industry, making them accessible to a wider audience than unique works of art. This one likely circulated among a public keen on social satire, offering a critical, humorous commentary on class, labor, and perhaps, the perceived excesses of Dutch maritime culture. The level of hand work reflects an intersection of skilled labor, artistry and emerging commercial market.