De rattenvanger met zijn knecht 1826 - 1886

Dirk Jurriaan Sluyter created this print, "The Rat Catcher with his Servant," using etching techniques, rendering a scene dominated by detailed textures and tonal contrasts. The composition focuses on two figures: an older rat catcher and his younger assistant, set against a backdrop that blurs the line between interior and exterior space. The print is an exercise in contrasts. Observe the textures of the clothing, the rough handling of the rat catcher's garments against the smoother skin of his apprentice, creating a dialogue about age and labor. The rat catcher carries a pole topped with what appears to be captured rats, a macabre detail rendered with stark realism. Sluyter uses the medium of etching to explore themes of marginality and the everyday. The meticulous lines construct a world where the grotesque and the mundane coexist, inviting us to question the values we assign to different forms of labor and existence.