Officier met zijn gezin 1837 - 1853

This print, titled "Officier met zijn gezin", was made by Johannes Christiaan d' Arnaud Gerkens in the Netherlands. It's a depiction of domesticity, but within the constraints of social class and gender roles. The officer tends to his wife's hair, while she cradles their child, perhaps signalling a shared sense of responsibility. But the trappings of wealth, the fine clothes and comfortable interior, also speak to a certain level of privilege. It prompts us to ask: What was the public role of art in the Netherlands at this time? How did institutions like the art market and the Royal Academy shape artistic production? And how did artists negotiate their own social positions within these systems? By consulting period documents like salon reviews, artists' correspondence, and economic surveys, we can gain a richer understanding of the social conditions that shaped this image and its reception. The meaning of this art is contingent on its social and institutional context.