Staande man met de hand op de heup 1710 - 1772

Petrus Johannes van Reysschoot created this red chalk drawing of a standing man, hand on hip, sometime in the 18th century. The sketch captures a figure in the fashionable attire of the period, complete with powdered wig and tailored coat. It was a time when the academies of art across Europe, including those in the Netherlands, were solidifying their influence. These institutions shaped artistic taste and promoted particular styles and subjects. Portraiture, like this sketch, was a mainstay, reflecting the growing importance of the individual and the rise of a wealthy merchant class eager to display their status. This drawing may have been a preparatory study for a larger painting or print, but it also stands as a record of the artist's skill and the sitter's social standing. To fully understand its place, we might look to fashion plates and portraiture of the period, as well as archival records of the artist's patrons and commissions. In doing so, we gain a richer understanding of the artwork as both an aesthetic object and a cultural artifact.