Studieblad, onder andere met een kok, etende mannen, een Javaanse Chinees en waterdragers c. 1660

This drawing by Wouter Schouten, created around the late 17th century, presents a tableau of figures and scenes rendered with an energetic, linear quality. Predominantly executed in monochrome, the composition is divided into distinct registers, each teeming with depictions of daily life. The upper section features a culinary scene, complete with a chef and diners, while the lower section presents various figures engaged in activities like carrying water and other interactions. What's striking is the economy of line used to convey form and action, creating a sense of immediacy. Schouten employs a structural framework that almost anticipates the seriality found in later comic strips or ethnographic studies. The sketches, however, destabilize any singular narrative; instead, they offer a fragmented view of cultural encounters and exchanges. Note the dynamic interplay between the figures and the negative space. This sketch invites us to consider how representations of culture and identity are constructed through a language of lines and forms.