Mensen aan lange tafel 1829 - 1830

Louis Charles Hora Siccama made this sketch, “Mensen aan lange tafel,” or “People at a Long Table,” using pen and grey ink. The drawing illustrates people gathered in what appears to be a domestic setting. The long table around which the figures are seated implies community, but also perhaps, exclusion, depending on who is at the table and who is not. The figures have individual expressions and attitudes, which hints at the varied experiences and perspectives that each person brings to the table. Hora Siccama lived during a time of significant social and political change in the Netherlands. The identities of the people represented here and their relationships to one another are certainly embedded within the social hierarchies of the time. The sketch seems to capture a moment of social interaction, prompting us to consider the dynamics of community, identity, and belonging.