Vertrek met een lezende man 1766

Caspar Jacobsz. Philips created this etching, titled 'Departure with a Reading Man,' during the late 18th century, a time of significant intellectual and social change known as the Enlightenment. The image depicts a solitary man absorbed in a book, illuminated by candlelight. The work invites us to reflect on the value of knowledge and learning during an era that privileged reason and individualism. Philips was working in a society marked by distinct class divisions, where access to education and the ability to read were often restricted to the elite. The man depicted embodies a particular kind of masculinity, one defined by intellect and introspection. What I find so moving about this etching is how it captures the quiet intensity of reading, that intimate exchange between the reader and the text. It prompts us to consider how personal enrichment through education intersects with broader societal structures of privilege and access. This small etching becomes a lens through which to consider the bigger picture.