Zittende man die de krant leest 1865 - 1930

Jac van Looij sketched this image of a man reading the newspaper with crayon on paper. Van Looij was a contemporary of the impressionists and expressionists, and while you can see some of their stylistic hallmarks in his work, he seems to have kept his distance from the avant-garde movements of the time. Here, we see the artist's focus on capturing a moment of everyday life, and an intimate glimpse into the quiet routine of an individual. He invites us to consider the role of media and information in shaping public opinion and personal identity. The man, absorbed in his reading, is detached from his surroundings, perhaps reflecting the growing sense of alienation experienced by many during the rapid social and political changes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The sketch invites us to reflect on our own relationship with the news and how it informs our understanding of the world.