Christ among the Doctors 1649 - 1655

Nicolaes Maes created this drawing in pen and brown ink, a study for a larger painting, probably in the Netherlands. The image depicts a young Christ discoursing with learned doctors, an event from the Gospel of Luke. Maes creates meaning through the architecture, which resembles a Dutch church, and by dressing the figures in contemporary clothing of the Dutch Golden Age. This was a period of great economic and cultural prosperity in the Netherlands, fuelled by trade and colonial expansion. The Dutch Reformed Church was the dominant religion, and the interpretation of scripture was central to its teachings. This drawing is an intimate portrayal of intellectual and religious life in the Dutch Republic. It invites the viewer to identify with the figures and to reflect on their own understanding of faith and knowledge. To understand more, we might research Dutch society in the 17th century.