Dwerg als de Franse Mademoiselle Jolicoeur, ca. 1710 1705 - 1715

This 18th-century engraving by Martin Engelbrecht depicts "Mademoiselle Jolicoeur," a dwarf dancer, performing in the opera "L'Opera du Village." Created in the Dutch Golden Age, the print showcases the popular fascination with human oddities. The artist's meticulous detail in capturing the subject's physical features, including her disproportionate limbs and exaggerated facial expressions, reflects a prevailing interest in the grotesque. The image serves as a testament to the era's interest in the marginalized and its desire to document the unique and the extraordinary.