Amorettenkopje naar links 1705 - 1754

Jacob de Wit created this ‘Amorettenkopje naar links’ with chalk, pen and gray ink, and watercolor. De Wit, a Dutch artist working in the 18th century, specialized in ceiling paintings, often populating them with cherubic figures. In this sketch, the soft rendering of the cherub might evoke conventional ideas of innocence, but I wonder what it means to see these figures reproduced and disseminated as decoration in domestic settings. How might this relate to broader social attitudes towards children in the 1700s, in terms of power dynamics, expectations, and the sentimentalization of youth? Consider the historical context: the Dutch Republic, though a center of trade and art, was also deeply involved in colonial exploitation. Perhaps this image could be seen as a manifestation of cultural attitudes and social hierarchies of the time. There is a certain tension between the cherub's perceived innocence and the socio-political environment in which such images were created and consumed.