Cartouche omgeven door gewassen en een vrouw 1640 - 1645

This pen and brown ink drawing by Pieter Jansz. features a cartouche encircled by crops and a woman. Jansz. made this drawing during the Dutch Golden Age, a period when the Netherlands experienced unprecedented economic growth and cultural flourishing. At a time when the Dutch Republic dominated international trade, the cartouche is flanked by symbolic imagery: bountiful produce representing the fertility and wealth of the land, and a female figure bearing a sheath of wheat. This personification of abundance contrasts against the backdrop of a society still grappling with stark class divisions, highlighting a complex interplay between prosperity and social inequity. The drawing invites contemplation on themes of national identity and wealth. The artist positions this imagery as both an idealization and a commentary on Dutch society.