Verboom was a landscape painter in the manner of Jacob van Ruisdael and Meindert Hobbema who made only about six etchings, all very rare. The Hamlet forms a pair with The Pond (H. 2). His light, airy touch consisting of short strokes and stipples is perhaps best appreciated in the first state before the engraved sky, but that state is excessively rare. He may have made this print during the years when he was active in Haarlem.