Winter 1632 - 1670

Frederick Bloemaert created this print, called "Winter", sometime in the 17th century. It offers a glimpse into the lives of the less fortunate during the Dutch Golden Age. Bloemaert depicts an elderly man, presumably a peasant, huddled over a small fire for warmth. His simple clothes and worn-out shoes speak to the economic hardships faced by many in the Netherlands at this time. It's important to remember that the Golden Age, while a period of prosperity, didn't extend to everyone. The print invites us to consider the social inequalities of the time, between the wealthy merchant class, whose portraits filled galleries and the poor. Prints like these were not just artistic expressions, but social documents. Art historians use a variety of sources, such as economic records and demographic data, to reconstruct a fuller picture of the past, and understand the relationship between art and its social context.