Profile Portrait of Boy n.d.

Daniel Mytens the Elder created this drawing, "Profile Portrait of a Boy", sometime in the early to mid-17th century, using red and black chalk with stumping on paper. Mytens was a Dutch Golden Age painter who spent a significant portion of his career in England. This drawing reflects the growing taste for realism and naturalism in portraiture that was emerging during this period. One should consider the social status of the sitter, likely from a wealthy family given the refined details of his clothing. Drawings like this would have been studies for larger paintings but also collected in their own right. To fully understand this work, historians delve into the social and economic structures of 17th-century Europe, particularly the art market and the patronage system. Researching the Mytens' artistic background and influences, as well as the specific cultural context in which he was working, can provide further insights into this image. Art is always contingent on its social and institutional contexts.