Dansende man met mes 1630 - 1665

Salomon Savery made this etching of a dancing man with a knife sometime in the 17th century. The figure is Jan de Kramer, known at the time as a celebrated comic performer. Savery was working in a Netherlands society that was transforming. Its economy was expanding through global trade. Its political institutions were solidifying as an independent republic. And a new urban culture was emerging, one that embraced secular and popular entertainment. The print’s comedic tone suggests the embrace of the everyday. But the presence of a knife hints at an underlying sense of social anxiety. Was this an orderly society, or one on the verge of chaos? This image and others like it remind us that art is always embedded in the social context of its time. To understand it better, we can research the popular culture of the 17th-century Netherlands. By doing so, we can uncover the social codes embedded in this seemingly simple image.