Zittende man met hoed op kruk en opgetrokken been

Cornelis Dusart made this drawing of a seated man with a hat, in pen and brush, around the late 17th century, a period known as the Dutch Golden Age. Drawings like this are often considered in relation to the artistic institutions of the time, such as the Haarlem Guild of Saint Luke, of which Dusart became a member in 1689. Guilds like this regulated artistic training, production, and sales, thereby shaping artistic careers and influencing the kinds of subjects artists chose to depict. We see here a man, perhaps a commoner, seated with a casual air. Was Dusart making a social comment? The Golden Age was a time of great prosperity, but also one of social stratification. By depicting everyday figures, artists began to challenge traditional hierarchies, and started to explore and express a sense of national identity. To delve deeper, one might explore guild records, social histories of the Netherlands, and other artworks by Dusart and his contemporaries. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.