Portret van Jacob Campo Weyerman in medaillon 1706 - 1750

Cornelis Troost made this portrait of Jacob Campo Weyerman with pen in gray ink and brush in gray, around 1736. The sitter was a controversial figure in the Dutch Republic: a painter and writer known for his scandalous biographies of artists. Weyerman's unflinching portrayal of artists' lives challenged the established norms of the art world. The medal-like frame suggests that Weyerman is an admirable figure who should be commemorated, but the document in his hands refers to his imprisonment in 1736. Troost’s artwork creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references, commenting on the social structures of his time and critiquing the institutions of art. Historians can use archives and other primary sources to interpret the social and institutional context of art, showing us the meaning of art is contingent on social context.