Portret van een lezende man, in profiel naar links 1756 - 1817

Louis Bernard Coclers created this etching of a man reading, sometime around the late 18th century. At the time, the Enlightenment was in full swing, and literacy was on the rise amongst the middle classes. Books were becoming more widely available, and reading was seen as a way to improve oneself and to participate more fully in public life. The image of a man reading was a popular one in art of the period, and was often used to symbolize these values. But who exactly, could afford to sit and read? This image seems to romanticize a scene of leisure and learning that was likely the privilege of a small minority, particularly given that the subject wears a signet ring. As historians, we must ask questions about who had access to education and literacy at this time, and whose stories were being told. By looking at library records, subscription lists, and other historical documents, we can begin to get a fuller picture of the social context in which this image was made, and think about what public role art can play.