Man achterover zittend in een stoel 1809 - 1869

Alexander Cranendoncq made this drawing of a man sitting in a chair using graphite. The image asks us to think about the relationship between the individual and their social position. The man's posture and clothing suggest a working-class background in the Netherlands during the early to mid-19th century. The Dutch society at the time was marked by significant class divisions and economic changes. We might think about how the subject relates to the rise of industrialization and urbanization in the Netherlands. To further understand this drawing, one could research the economic conditions and social structures of the Netherlands at the time. This requires looking into archives, census data, newspapers and institutional records. The meaning of this drawing is not just in the image itself, but in its connection to the world around it.