Two Bearded Men in Ragged Cloaks n.d.

This red chalk drawing of two men in tattered clothing was produced by an anonymous artist. The image prompts us to consider the social conditions that shape artistic production, and the politics of imagery in early modern Europe. The visual codes in the drawing seem to connect the figures to a familiar trope of vagrant men, as they appear dishevelled and impoverished. These are men cast out of society. Perhaps the most telling element is the anonymity of the artist; the image suggests this artist may have had more interest in social commentary than in the institutional recognition that could come from signing their art. In understanding art like this, the historian turns to parish records, census data, and other archives to build a sense of the artist’s world. The meaning of art is always contingent on the social and institutional context in which it's made.