Manke man 1645 - 1706

Curator: I find myself drawn to the almost Dickensian character etched into this engraving. Cornelis Saftleven created this print, "Manke Man," sometime between 1645 and 1706. It really throws you into another world, doesn't it? Editor: It does. My first thought? Tragic clown meets street philosopher. There's something undeniably theatrical about him, yet shadowed by what seems to be misfortune and marginality. Curator: Indeed! Saftleven, known for his genre scenes and narrative art, captures the Baroque era's fascination with both the grotesque and the everyday. The engraving medium really lends itself to highlighting texture and character, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely. That hat practically screams 'texture'. Look closer at that script he's holding too – what an interesting symbol, perhaps an ironic declaration by someone who seemingly relies on the kindness of strangers. Are we seeing, in his vulnerability, a comment about perception itself? Curator: Good eye! That paper may well hold verses. Crippled though he is, holding up verses relates to that sense of "being seen" even at his state. And what to make of the crutch strapped to what looks like his bare leg! Saftleven leaves it up to us to invent the "whys" behind him being an unfortunate. Editor: The strap reads to me as ingenuity – or, to put it more darkly, an unwillingness to truly seek aid. To think he fashions his own strange, uncomfortable solution... which speaks volumes. The details of Baroque genre paintings never stop offering new thoughts on humanity and culture. Curator: And so many readings layered within the character—perhaps he is an exile of his society? I love these intimate portrayals that pull us so deeply into personal and symbolic imaginaries. Editor: Me too! I'm still chewing on the strangeness and drama he suggests through such a modest print.