Kerker met drie personen 1723 - 1769

Johann Georg Trautmann made this pen and grey ink wash drawing, entitled "Kerker met drie personen", at an unknown date. It depicts a prison scene, but perhaps not in the way you might expect. Trautmann was working in 18th century Germany. He specialised in nocturnal scenes, and was clearly interested in the dramatic possibilities of light, and what it conceals as much as what it reveals. The figures are interesting too. Are they prisoners, or visitors? Is the figure on the right a jester, come to entertain those in captivity? If so, what does that tell us about the role of the artist in society? Is their role to comment on, or to soften, the harsh realities of social control? These are questions we can address through an understanding of the cultural role of the artist, and the social function of art. We can research the role of prisons and entertainers in 18th century Europe through institutional records and cultural histories. In doing so, we might better understand the artwork's social meaning.