Loterij van Grootebroek, 1694 1694 - 1695

Cornelis Dusart created "Loterij van Grootebroek" in 1694, a print now held at the Rijksmuseum. Created during the Dutch Golden Age, the print captures a scene of lottery winnings being announced in a village. Consider Dusart's position as a genre painter during a time of relative prosperity in the Netherlands. He often depicted scenes of everyday life. It's hard not to wonder, who gets to participate in the lottery, and who profits? In this print, the delivery of lottery news becomes a public spectacle. We see figures leaning out of windows, their faces a mix of anticipation and joy. But, the central figures, bearing the news and the prizes, are men of the working class, suggesting a narrative about wealth distribution and social mobility. Does this moment of shared excitement reflect a genuine sense of community or does it mask underlying tensions of class and economic disparity? Take a moment to reflect on how the dream of wealth shapes our social interactions.