Fotoreproducties van De peinzende door Nicolaes Maes en Een boerendeel door Egbert Lievensz. van der Poel c. 1866 - 1874

This is a photographic reproduction of two Dutch Golden Age paintings, made at an unknown date by an anonymous photographer. On the left, Nicolaes Maes’s ‘The Pensive Girl’ shows a young woman gazing out from a window. On the right, Egbert Lievensz. van der Poel’s ‘A Peasant Cottage’ depicts a domestic interior with figures around a fireplace. In the 17th century, Dutch painting saw an explosion of genre scenes depicting everyday life, and the art market developed rapidly, though access remained limited by class. The creation of photographic reproductions introduced the possibility of wider audiences engaging with canonical art. This print provides insight into the history of artistic production, distribution, and reception. Understanding the social context that shaped these images requires historical and archival research. By exploring the institutions and economic structures of the art world, we can better understand the public role of art and the politics of imagery.