Portret van een oude man met baard, en face c. 1829 - 1834

Lambertus Antonius Claessens made this engraving titled ‘Portrait of an Old Man with a Beard’ in the late 18th or early 19th century. The image of an old man with his hand on his chest might seem simple, but it speaks volumes about the social and cultural values of its time. The image resembles the artistic conventions of the Dutch Golden Age, a time of great prosperity and cultural achievement in the Netherlands. The references to the Golden Age indicate a conscious effort to connect with a glorious past, perhaps in response to the social and political upheavals of the late 18th century. As historians, we might look into the printmaking industry of this time. Studying archival documents and exhibition catalogs, we can better understand the artist's intentions and the social context in which this work was created and appreciate how art reflects the values of a society.