Beeldengroep van een vrouw met kind 1708 - 1781

Pieter Idserts made this sketch of a woman and child in the 18th century. The image evokes classical sculptures of antiquity with the woman's draped clothing and graceful pose. The Dutch Republic in the 1700s saw a rising merchant class. These merchants controlled global trade and possessed great social mobility. They sought to emulate the lifestyles of aristocracy, often commissioning art, building grand homes, and participating in cultural activities that were once reserved for the upper classes. Art academies flourished, promoting classicism as the apex of artistic achievement and social status. It is interesting to see how artists such as Idserts responded to the needs of their patrons, adopting certain visual codes and references in their art that would appeal to the cultural tastes of the time. To understand this piece fully, one might explore records of artistic training in the Netherlands, genealogical research of artist patrons, and social histories of family portraiture. Only then can we gain a deeper appreciation of the artwork’s role in its specific time and place.