Man toont lege zakken 1864 - 1902

Editor: So this ink and pen drawing, “Man toont lege zakken,” or “Man Shows Empty Pockets,” is from sometime between 1864 and 1902 by Jeremias Adriaan Adolf Schill. It's a really striking image because it bluntly depicts this guy showing his empty pockets. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: Well, immediately, the material poverty represented here screams of larger economic forces at play. Look at the medium itself: pen and ink. A relatively inexpensive means of production, chosen no doubt for its accessibility. Notice also the precise rendering. This suggests the artist intended to disseminate this image widely, possibly as social commentary aimed at a broad, perhaps working-class, audience. Editor: That's interesting. I hadn’t thought about the choice of materials as being deliberate in that way, reflecting class consciousness. So, are you saying the drawing’s very creation is part of the social statement? Curator: Precisely! And consider the poem inscribed beneath the image. Do you see how it directly relates to the drawing, further underscoring the financial precarity of everyday life? It is making explicit what the visual represents implicitly. What could be driving the creation and reception of art showing material poverty? Editor: It seems to me it challenges the dominant narrative of wealth and success, almost like a form of… resistance through representation? Curator: Absolutely. Schill's "Man toont lege zakken" encourages us to consider the relationship between art, material realities, and social justice. The artist’s act of observation and depiction becomes, in itself, a form of social engagement. It all shows you that something seemingly small like the choice of pen and ink or to include some narrative at the bottom of the drawing can signify profound meaning. Editor: That really changed my perspective. I will now question what art materials were chosen, why, and what it means for how art is consumed. Thanks!