In 't Jaar 1747 c. 1789 - 1810

Editor: This pen drawing, "In 't Jaar 1747," created around 1789-1810 by an anonymous artist, feels like a candid snapshot. There's this almost comical stiffness to the figures, posed in what looks like a very ornate room. What story do you think it's telling? Curator: Ah, yes! It whispers to me of powdered wigs and societal contracts. Note how the Rococo style drips from the walls, yet the figures feel… slightly awkward, out of sync? Perhaps our anonymous friend is playfully critiquing the formality of the era, the performative aspect of status. Don't you get the feeling they're actors on a stage, directed by an invisible hand? Editor: I see what you mean. They do look a little like figures in a play. It looks almost like they're reading from a script in this performance of aristocracy. Curator: Precisely! Look at the gentleman offering a document. Is it a deed? An invitation? A bill, perhaps? The tension hangs heavy in the air, doesn't it? It's like waiting for a punchline! And who is that older fellow seated? Is he stage managing? Or simply unimpressed with the drama unfolding before him? The beauty is, my dear, it can be whatever we imagine it to be. Editor: That’s a great point. The artist gives us a scene, but it’s really up to us to figure out the backstory. It makes me look at seemingly simple drawings with so much more curiosity. Curator: Isn't that just the glorious tease? Art nudging us, winking, whispering: "Go on, invent a life for me!" And perhaps, while we’re at it, invent a bit more life for ourselves, eh? Editor: I love that— inventing a bit more life for ourselves! Thanks so much.