Staande jongen, van achteren gezien Possibly 1648 - 1649

Editor: Here we have Harmen ter Borch’s “Standing Boy, Seen From the Back,” likely from 1648-1649, created using pencil. It’s such a simple sketch, almost unassuming. What strikes you about it? Curator: Well, let's consider the materials themselves. Pencil, a seemingly simple medium, becomes incredibly powerful here. Ter Borch is using it not just to depict the boy, but to explore ideas around social standing through clothing and presentation. How is status represented? Editor: It’s subtle, but you can see it in the tailored coat and wide-brimmed hat, things not every child would have worn. Curator: Exactly. Think about where ter Borch sourced his materials, who produced the paper and pencils, and for whom such images were made. It becomes a lens into the social and economic fabric of the Dutch Golden Age. What does it tell us about wealth? How can everyday materials, used by skilled hands, signal class? Editor: I never really thought about where the artist even got the pencil. Now I'm wondering who was wealthy enough to commission something like this, or even just for Ter Borch to create this kind of work as a study. Curator: It challenges that high/low art divide, doesn't it? Is it just a sketch, or something more revealing about labour, production, and who has the power to represent whom? The very act of creating art, and its consumption, is inherently tied to materiality and social context. Editor: I hadn’t considered it in those terms before. Focusing on materials really unlocks a new way to view this drawing and think about the society that produced it. Curator: And hopefully challenges the art historical narrative that often overlooks such considerations.