Bust of a Man with a Broad Collar 17th century

This drawing in black chalk depicts a man with long hair and a broad collar. It's currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and was probably made in the Netherlands, around the middle of the 17th century. The subject's dress and hair are visual codes that tell us about the sitter's position in society. Broad, starched collars like this were common amongst the Dutch elite. The Golden Age in the Netherlands saw a massive growth in mercantile activity and the expansion of a wealthy middle class. It also saw the development of a sophisticated artistic culture, supported by the patronage of this class. Artists at this time developed a new realism and a new focus on secular subject matter. But, it can be hard to know what to make of a portrait like this without knowing who made it, or who it represents. Art historians use a variety of research tools – including archival research and connoisseurship – to bring these images into focus. Art doesn't exist in a vacuum: it reflects the society that produces it.