Man zittend op de rand van een kruiwagen Possibly 1772 - 1833

Mathias de Sallieth made this print of a man sitting on a wheelbarrow in the Netherlands in the late eighteenth century. It is a hand-colored etching. Prints like this were often made for a rising middle class with an interest in art. It's a striking image of the working classes and their everyday life. The man is well-dressed and smokes a pipe, suggesting that he is perhaps better off than most manual laborers. The jug and cup on the ground, though, might suggest that his comfort comes from another source. How does this image reinforce or challenge the social hierarchies of its time? The late 1700s was a time of both social stability and upheaval. The French Revolution started in 1789, with repercussions all over Europe, and the Dutch Republic was overthrown by French forces in 1795. The print raises questions about art’s role in representing different social classes and how it participates in the politics of imagery. By consulting period sources, such as pamphlets, newspapers, and political tracts, we can come to a better understanding of the position of this image in its original context.