Portret van Wessel Knoops Possibly 1849

Johann Peter Berghaus created this portrait of Wessel Knoops with lithography in the Netherlands. The print captures Knoops in a seated pose, dressed in the attire of a well-to-do gentleman of the 19th century. In this period, the Netherlands was experiencing social and economic changes, and portraiture served as a means for individuals to assert their status and identity within that changing society. The Rijksmuseum itself, as an institution, played a role in shaping the cultural values of the time by collecting and displaying works like this. Berghaus's lithograph reflects the conservative tastes of the era while also participating in the burgeoning print culture that made art more accessible to a broader public. To truly understand this artwork, we can delve into the archives, exploring the social and economic history of the Netherlands, the history of the Rijksmuseum, and the biography of both the artist and his sitter. In doing so, the contingent relationship between art, society, and institutions becomes clear.