Een vrolijke braspartij 1832 - 1891

Herman Frederik Carel ten Kate created this drawing of a merry drinking party with pen in gray in the Netherlands. What is the public role of art when it is made at such a small scale? Is this a drawing for personal pleasure or made for the market? The sketch shows a genre scene, common in Dutch art, depicting everyday life, in this case a group of people enjoying themselves with drinks. The Rijksmuseum is the Dutch national museum dedicated to arts and history in Amsterdam. How did this sketch end up in the collection? Was it donated by a family member or acquired at auction? It would be interesting to look at the museum's acquisition records to understand the journey of this sketch from the artist's studio to the museum's collection. It’s fascinating to think how institutions shape what we value as art and what stories we tell about the past.