Dansende man met een vrouw 1700 - 1730

This small etching shows a dancing man with a woman, created by an anonymous artist. The man steps on the woman's foot, in what appears to be a clumsy dance. The woman, seemingly resigned, holds a small bundle. This dance, or rather, this misstep, reminds us that even in moments of joy, the subconscious asserts itself. We see echoes of this clumsiness in countless depictions of revelry throughout history, from drunken bacchantes in Roman frescoes to stumbling peasants in Renaissance fairs. It is as if humanity is doomed to perpetually repeat the same missteps, a concept akin to the ancient Greek idea of 'hamartia', or tragic flaw. But consider the recurring symbol of dance throughout history - a motif of collective ecstasy, of primal release. This symbol, however, is subverted here, becoming awkward, and even a little sad. The emotional tension in this image reminds us that symbols are never static. They are cyclical, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.