Jager die uit een kroes drinkt 1821 - 1891

Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen created this pencil drawing, titled 'Hunter Drinking from a Mug', sometime in the 19th century. Van der Brugghen was part of a generation of Dutch artists who, in the aftermath of the Napoleonic era, began to look inwards towards national themes and identities. Here, we see a man, presumably a hunter, pausing with his rifle to take a drink. Hunting in the 19th century was associated with masculinity, leisure, and access to land, reflecting class divisions. Look at how the artist captures the hunter’s momentary pause, a quiet moment of respite. This piece can be read in relation to the complex social and economic transformations of the 19th century. The hunter seems caught between the 'old world' of rural traditions, and the emerging modern era. This drawing might remind us to consider the relationship between people and the natural world, and the ways in which our identities are shaped by both.