Portret van de schilder Franciscus Andreas Milatz op zijn doodsbed c. 1808 - 1810

Hermanus van Brussel created this small etching of fellow painter Franciscus Andreas Milatz on his deathbed. The Dutch loved deathbed scenes, but this one departs from the norm; here, the portrait is not a form of social theatre, it's a candid and intimate observation. The image offers a glimpse into the artistic circles of the Netherlands in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It prompts us to ask: what was the social status of artists at this time? What kind of social support did they receive? Did the art institutions offer them any protection? As art historians, we can investigate these questions by consulting archival records, letters, and other primary sources. We can explore how the artist was perceived in society, and we can come to understand the social and economic conditions that shaped their lives and creative work. The image asks us to consider the social and institutional context that shaped the world of these artists.