Rokende man en drinkende vrouw in een prieel 1694

Cornelis Dusart made this etching of a smoking man and drinking woman in a bower some time in the late 17th century. The image, with its rough figures and somewhat sordid setting, speaks to the artistic interest in everyday life that characterized art in the Netherlands at this time. But the image also creates meaning through cultural references and historical associations. The low-life subject matter would have been familiar to viewers through popular festivals and street performances. But these would also have had a direct connection to a growing market for genre paintings aimed at a middle-class audience. As art historians, we might use period literature, such as popular songs or pamphlets, to more fully understand the meanings that might be invested in motifs of drinking or smoking. The point is that, by understanding more about its cultural context, we can better understand the power of art to reflect, reinforce, and perhaps even challenge the social norms of its time.