Zittende man met glas en pijp 1799

Alexander Liernur made this image of a man with a glass and pipe in the late 18th or early 19th century. The sitter’s clothes and pipe tell us something about class and leisure. This man, in his ruffled collar and green fur hat, has the time and resources for such leisurely pursuits as drinking and smoking. What does it mean to see this man calmly enjoying tobacco when we know the history of tobacco as a commodity produced by enslaved people? Liernur invites us to reflect on the complexities of pleasure and privilege during the rise of global trade. The piece seems to ask, who gets to enjoy a moment of rest and at whose expense? Consider this man’s gaze and the quiet stillness of the scene, as the painting prompts us to consider the ethics embedded in everyday life.