Farmer's head with fur cap 

Curator: This drawing, residing here at the Städel Museum, is entitled "Farmer's head with fur cap" by Antoon Overlaet, created in ink, which is the key to its beauty and character, I think. Editor: He's so jovial! It’s as if someone just told him the world's best joke. Or perhaps he’s up to no good? There's mischief lurking behind those eyes. Curator: It’s intriguing, isn’t it? While the image immediately suggests the everyman, we have to remember that representing peasants became a fashionable trope in Baroque art. The trend was tied up with the rising urban classes asserting a degree of power. It suggests an idyllic simplicity far removed from reality. Editor: You think so? To me, the sheer detail—the little lines etched to create texture of that marvelous hat, the shading around his cheekbones that suggests the elements have roughened his skin, they hint at authenticity to me. It makes me think this is less a grand statement and more like one small, fleeting moment. Curator: Perhaps both readings are possible. The cross-hatching used to render the figure gives the drawing a very polished and sophisticated quality, fitting with the style of portraiture typical of the period, while the subject itself is taken from everyday life. This creates a fascinating dialogue of contrasts within the image, making you question the nature of its social commentary. Editor: That's well said. It makes me think about our modern day “selfie,” in some way. I wonder what this man might have been like if he could capture an image whenever he felt the impulse? I’d hope that the mischievous glint in his eye and the depth in his face made it through time’s filtering. Curator: Indeed! It is images like these, capturing that subtle expression, the fleeting moment, and a certain visual irony, which helps bring historical social dynamics back into focus. Editor: Looking closely one last time, I admire how Overlaet coaxed out this ordinary man’s extraordinary humanity. It's a portrait of humor, but perhaps also something deeper. Curator: And so, perhaps in viewing, we not only understand Overlaet and his place and time in society but also ourselves.