Een Creool before 1839

"Een Creool," a small-scale sculpture by Dutch artist Gerrit Schouten, portrays a Black man standing in profile with a cloth draped over his torso. Created before 1839, the sculpture exemplifies Schouten's interest in depicting diverse individuals during a period of growing colonial influence. The detailed rendering of the figure's anatomy and clothing suggests a keen observation of the subject's physicality, potentially reflecting prevailing perceptions of race and ethnicity. Schouten's focus on capturing individual characteristics within the context of larger social trends makes this work particularly significant for understanding Dutch art and society during this period.