Hoofd van een vrouw met een hoofddoek, naar links c. 1660

Moses ter Borch created this sketch of a woman's head with charcoal on paper sometime in the mid-17th century. In the Dutch Republic at this time, the visual arts were becoming increasingly democratized as the merchant class rose to prominence as art patrons. The institutions of art were also in flux, with the rise of art markets and entrepreneurial artists. Ter Borch, who died at only 22 years of age, was one of many artists capturing scenes of everyday life. What might it have meant in 17th century Netherlands to create an image of a common woman, and what might be the politics of depicting her with a headscarf? Did the artist use her image to challenge or uphold social norms? To answer these questions, a social historian might research the fashion of head coverings in Dutch society, and also examine period literature to see how ordinary women were represented.