A man in a hat looking up 1693

This drawing, "A man in a hat looking up" was made by Cornelis Dusart in the Dutch Republic sometime between 1660 and 1704. Look at this man's face. What’s he looking at? What’s he thinking? Dusart was a student of Adriaen van Ostade, who specialized in scenes of peasant life. While this drawing is not overtly satirical, we might imagine that Dusart intended some gentle commentary on the habits and preoccupations of ordinary people. In a society where social hierarchy was still rigidly enforced, the depiction of common folk offered artists a chance to reflect on the values and virtues of different social classes. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam holds an extensive collection of Dutch drawings, making it an invaluable resource for understanding the artistic and social context in which Dusart worked. By studying these images and the culture that produced them, we can gain a deeper appreciation of the public role of art and the politics of imagery.