Man met een lange stok laat een hondje dansen terwijl een tweede man slaapt 1606 - 1669

This print, made by Louis Spirinx, features a man with a long stick making a small dog dance while another man sleeps. It’s rendered using etching, a printmaking technique that relies on acid to bite lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. The fine lines of the etching precisely capture the scene's details. The varying depth of the etched lines creates a subtle tonal range, which gives form to the figures. The image is about leisure and labor. One man is actively working, coaxing the dog to perform, while the other rests. The labor is of a lower kind, perhaps itinerant; their clothes are tattered, and their labor is for entertainment. The etching technique itself, while capable of great detail, allowed for relatively quick reproduction and dissemination of images to a wide audience. It is a reminder that art's value lies not only in its subject but also in the materials and processes that bring it to life, blurring the lines between craft, labor, and art.