Zittende man met een kom op schoot 1662

Cornelis Saftleven created this drawing of a seated man with chalk around 1662. Saftleven was part of a generation of Dutch artists who were interested in the everyday lives of ordinary people. But how might the artist's own social position have influenced this representation? Saftleven was born into an artistic family in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Like many artists, he relied on wealthy patrons and the art market for his livelihood. The rise of the Dutch merchant class shaped what artists produced and how they were viewed. Here, the sitter's clothes and manner are captured with great detail. The very act of depicting a common person, even with respect, reinforced existing hierarchies. Perhaps the artist's choices reflected the conservative values of his patrons, or maybe he sought to challenge those values. By studying the economic structures and class relations of the 17th-century Netherlands, we can better understand how social forces shaped this drawing.