Herbergscène 1775

Joannis Jacobus Bijlaert created this watercolor drawing of a tavern scene sometime in the 1700s. The artist’s chosen medium allows us to analyze the social context of 18th-century taverns. Watercolor's fluidity enables capturing the liveliness of the scene; the quick, thin washes of diluted pigment create the bustling atmosphere, with a range of characters densely grouped in a confined space. The process is about immediacy. The tavern setting is a window into social dynamics. The details of the architecture, the clothing of the patrons, and their collective activities, reflect the intersection of labor, leisure, and class. The artwork's focus on the everyday connects it to a broader dialogue about the role of ordinary life in art. Bijlaert’s choice to depict this scene using watercolor challenges conventional hierarchies, positioning it alongside more traditionally valued paintings. It reminds us that artistic expression can emerge from, and comment on, any material, and any subject.