Man met een kruik 1650 - 1750

This is a small print of a man with a jug, made by an artist known only by the initials A.P., sometime in the 17th or 18th century. The image depicts two men seemingly enjoying themselves in what could be a tavern. The central figure, identified by his jug, is clearly inebriated. The print is a window into the social life of the period. It raises questions about the role of alcohol in society and whether it's a benign social lubricant or a source of social problems. Prints like these, widely circulated in the Netherlands at the time, also speak to the burgeoning art market and the growing middle class with disposable income to spend on art. The fact that the artist is only known by initials also says something about the art world of the time, where craftsmanship was often valued over individual artistic genius. As historians, we can consult period literature, social histories, and economic records to better understand the context in which this print was made and consumed.