Staande jongeman met een hoed in de hand 1600 - 1624

Willem Pietersz. Buytewech rendered this drawing of a standing young man with graphite on paper in the early 17th century. Notice the figure’s confident pose and the elegance suggested by his attire. The artist skillfully uses line and shadow to convey the textures of the fabrics and the contours of the body. The composition emphasizes verticality, drawing the eye upwards from the intricately detailed legs to the more loosely sketched head and ruffled collar. Buytewech's drawing reflects a moment of transition in art, where the detailed realism of the earlier Northern Renaissance began to merge with the dynamism of the Baroque. We see this in the contrast between the sharp, precise lines defining the lower portion of the figure and the softer, more suggestive strokes used for the upper body. The varying line weights and shading create a sense of movement and life, moving beyond mere representation to capture the vitality of the subject. The drawing functions as a study in form and expression, exemplifying how an artist uses line and shading to animate the human form and convey an attitude of self-assuredness.