Rokende boer met pijp en test 1777 - 1779

Pieter de Mare created this print, Rokende boer met pijp en test, towards the end of the 18th century. It captures a figure in a moment of humble leisure. During this period, the Dutch Republic was undergoing significant social and economic changes, and images of everyday life became popular, reflecting a growing interest in the common person. In this etching, the farmer is not idealized; instead, he's presented with a kind of bluntness that is far from romantic. The pipe and the “test,” or cup, signify simple pleasures, yet there’s an undeniable class element at play. Consider the labor and the social hierarchy that positions the farmer in a particular stratum. The print invites us to ponder the lives of those who worked the land and their place in the broader social fabric of the time. The image carries an emotional weight; it speaks to the dignity, and perhaps also the hardships, inherent in a life of toil.