Borstbeeld van een man met bontmuts 1625 - 1674

This is an etching of a man in a fur hat by Jan Lievens. It is currently in the Rijksmuseum. Lievens, a Dutch Golden Age painter, was fascinated by the visual codes of dress. Fur hats at this time were potent symbols of status and trade. The Dutch Republic was built on mercantile activity, with many merchants growing rich off the fur trade with Russia. The image shows the sitter’s affluence but also hints at the social complexities of wealth gained through commerce. In the Dutch Republic, portraiture emerged as a dominant genre, reflecting the values of a society keen to represent itself and its aspirations. Prints like these made such images available to a wider public. Art historians can investigate Dutch inventories, costume books, and trade records to understand the full meaning of such images in their own time. These resources remind us that art's meaning is always tied to its social and institutional context.