Duitse edelman en een vrouw uit Amsterdam 1641

Crispijn van de Passe the Younger made this print of a German nobleman and a woman from Amsterdam some time in the 17th century. The work is an engraving on laid paper and we can immediately see how it speaks to ideas about national identity and gender roles. Engravings like this one were often produced as part of larger series, or books, and were thus destined for a market of collectors. The artist is using recognizable visual shorthands for the status of his figures: their clothing, hairstyles, and accessories. But perhaps most interesting is the way the image plays with stereotypes in the relationship between men and women. The Dutch Republic, during this period, saw a flourishing print culture and many of these kinds of artworks can be understood through a close consideration of social and institutional factors, aided by period sources like etiquette manuals. The artwork becomes a rich source of historical insight when it is understood within its original context.