Het wekken van de meisjes 1629

Cornelis van Kittensteyn made this tiny etching, “The Awakening of the Girls”, sometime in the first half of the 17th century. It depicts a scene of boisterous revelry. In the Dutch Republic of this period, wealthy citizens enjoyed newfound prosperity and social mobility. This print gives us an intimate view into the culture of private life. Is it a scene of innocent fun or a depiction of boisterous excess? The upturned furniture and discarded clothing suggest a lack of restraint, while the costumes and setting tell us that this is the world of the merchant and professional classes. To interpret it further, we might examine the visual codes of courtship and domesticity in 17th-century Dutch art. We can study household inventories and conduct archival research to understand the social customs and moral attitudes of the time. By placing the work in its cultural and historical context, we can gain a better understanding of its meaning and significance.