Man en vrouw aan zee 1826 - 1886

Dirk Jurriaan Sluyter created this print titled 'Man en vrouw aan zee' using etching. The pair are gazing up to the heavens, away from us, and away from the sea. Their clothes, and the composition, are both reminiscent of classical imagery, but it is difficult for us to tell if the image is intended to depict historical figures or a more modern couple wearing classical robes. The location of the Rijksmuseum, in the Netherlands, may give us a clue. In the 19th Century Dutch art academies were influenced by classicism, but were also interested in modernizing art, and so they promoted the academic study of anatomy, perspective, and art history in order to provide a solid foundation for new innovations in art. Studying the archives of Dutch art academies in this period will help us to understand how they may have influenced Sluyter and his contemporaries. Only then can we understand what this image meant to its original audience, and what it might mean to us today.