Staande man met jas, in profiel c. 1880 - 1887

Louis Apol drew this standing man with a coat in graphite on paper sometime between 1870 and 1936. The drawing, now held at the Rijksmuseum, offers insight into the social dynamics of the late 19th and early 20th century Netherlands. Apol, known for his landscapes, here captures a figure representative of the urban middle class with the man’s coat and hat. The quick strokes and the use of a grid suggest this was a preparatory sketch, a study of posture and dress, perhaps for inclusion in a larger painting. We might ask: what narratives did such figures embody? The man’s clothing indicates a certain level of social status, reflecting the economic stratification of Dutch society at the time. To truly understand this image, one could delve into Dutch fashion history or the archives of art institutions that supported artists like Apol. This sketch then becomes a window into the social and economic conditions that shaped artistic production in the Netherlands.