De dwerg Mopsus Poesegroes, 1720 1716 - 1720

Andries van Buysen Sr. created this print, "De dwerg Mopsus Poesegroes," around 1720. The composition is immediately striking with its clear demarcation of space. The image presents a central, framed caricature flanked by what appears to be a pale, ghosted mirror image on the adjacent page, inviting a comparative reading. The formal elements here—line, form, and contrast—establish a semiotic system of signs, challenging conventional portraiture. The grotesque figures framed by ornate, swirling borders and the sharp lines of the typography create a visual tension, destabilizing notions of beauty and order. The artist plays with scale, juxtaposing figures of disproportionate size, which disrupts traditional hierarchies. The print is not just an aesthetic object but also a form of visual rhetoric. It invites viewers to consider how images construct and challenge cultural codes, revealing the complexities of representation and interpretation.