Man in jas met knopen 1710 - 1772

Petrus Johannes van Reysschoot created this red chalk drawing of a man in a coat with buttons in the 18th century. The sketch captures a figure glancing over his shoulder, his gaze averted, perhaps lost in thought. We can consider the sitter’s identity within the social constructs of the 1700s. The detailed rendering of his coat, complete with buttons, signifies a certain status. Yet, the softness of the chalk and the incompleteness of the sketch could suggest a vulnerability. Van Reysschoot lived in a time of rigid social hierarchies, and portraiture was often used to reinforce these structures. Here, however, the artist uses the medium of drawing to explore the personal, capturing a fleeting moment of introspection. The work avoids the grandiosity typical of formal portraits, perhaps inviting us to contemplate the individual beyond his social standing.