De loterij van Henricus van Soest te Antwerpen, 1695 1695

This engraving, made in Antwerp in 1695 by Gaspar Bouttats, depicts the lottery of Henricus van Soest. Lotteries were a popular phenomenon in the Dutch Golden Age, acting as a form of public finance, but also as a source of entertainment and social gathering. This scene offers a glimpse into the material culture of the time and the allure of quick wealth. The image shows a room filled with luxurious goods, from furniture to textiles, all up for grabs. A crowd of people, presumably the lottery participants, are gathered, their expressions a mix of anticipation and excitement. Antwerp, a major trading hub, was known for its opulent lifestyle and the desire to acquire such possessions would have fueled the lottery's popularity. Such lotteries could be seen as a critique of social structures, offering a chance for social mobility, or as a reflection of the growing consumerism. To understand this work more fully, one could delve into historical records of lotteries in the Netherlands, account books of merchants, and inventories of households. This would reveal the social impact of the lottery and its role in shaping the cultural values of the time.