Hand 1710 - 1772

This is a drawing called 'Hand' by Petrus Johannes van Reysschoot. While seemingly simple, this drawing exists within a context of artistic training and social hierarchy in the 18th century. In Reysschoot's time, the hand was more than just a body part; it symbolized skill, labor, and even social status. Consider how hands are depicted in portraits of the era. Are they rough and calloused from work, or soft and idle, indicating privilege? This drawing, likely a study, would have been crucial for an artist learning to depict these subtle markers of identity and class. Moreover, the act of drawing itself was a skill reserved for a select few, largely excluding women and people of lower social classes from formal artistic training. In light of this, the drawing becomes a quiet testament to the artist’s own position within the social fabric of his time. It represents how artistic skill was intertwined with privilege and social identity.