Portret van J. van der Meer de Wijs 1824 - 1845

Henricus Wilhelmus Couwenberg made this lithograph of J. van der Meer de Wijs in the Netherlands, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. As a print, this image is a reproduction of a painted portrait. But how might it have circulated? And who might have seen it? Prints like this one played an important role in the cultural and political life of the Netherlands at this time. They would have been relatively inexpensive to produce. This meant that images of political figures, celebrities, and even ordinary people could be widely distributed. Prints were often displayed in public places, such as coffee houses and shops, helping to shape public opinion. Historians can learn a lot from studying prints like this one. By looking at the style, subject matter, and distribution of prints, we can gain insights into the values, beliefs, and attitudes of the people who made and consumed them. We can research the subject of the portrait, J. van der Meer de Wijs, to try to understand who he was, and why someone would have commissioned this portrait.