Man zittend aan een bureau after 1861

Edouard Vermorcken created this print, "Man sitting at a desk," in the 19th century, a time when the roles and expectations of men were undergoing significant changes. Vermorcken’s work offers a window into the intimate spaces and private moments of men during this era. We see a man, presumably of means given the trappings of his study, lost in thought or labor at his desk. His posture, slightly slumped, with arms crossed, evokes a sense of weariness or contemplation. It invites us to consider the pressures and burdens carried by men. The setting—a room adorned with personal effects and symbols of intellect—speaks to the importance of the domestic sphere and the life of the mind. Yet, the man’s inward gaze suggests a complex interiority. Vermorcken’s print, though seemingly simple, prompts a deeper reflection on the emotional lives of men and their place in a rapidly changing world.