Gevoel 1620 - 1638

Jan Both created this etching, titled "Gevoel," sometime in the mid-17th century. The composition centers on a crude dental procedure, a moment of visceral human experience captured through stark lines and textures. The scene, though small in scale, feels monumental due to the artist’s use of contrasting tones, which highlight the dramatic tension and grotesque details of the event. Both's work reflects a broader engagement with realism, yet his approach is mediated through the visual language of the etching medium. The image's graphic quality, with its emphasis on line and form, invites us to consider how printmaking could be a medium for exploring themes of pain and the grotesque. The contrast between the figures' contorted expressions and the neat, precise lines of the etching challenges any fixed idea of beauty, prompting a deeper consideration of how art destabilizes and transforms our perceptions.