Jagers, pijprokende mannen en een man met een kruiwagen c. 1839 - 1872

Johannes Tavenraat made this pencil drawing of hunters, pipe-smoking men and a man with a wheelbarrow in the Netherlands, sometime in the mid-19th century. This sketch offers us a glimpse into the daily lives of ordinary people, captured with an immediacy that speaks to the changing social landscape of the time. Consider the clothing and activities depicted. The hunters, likely members of the leisure class, stand in contrast to the working man pushing his wheelbarrow. The rise of industrialization and urbanization in the Netherlands during this period created new social divisions and class tensions. The presence of pipe-smoking men could allude to the growing tobacco industry and its impact on Dutch society. Art historians might consult period newspapers, trade records, and social commentaries to contextualize this drawing further. By examining such sources, we can understand how Tavenraat's work reflects and responds to the social, economic, and cultural forces shaping 19th-century Dutch society.