Man met hoed Possibly 1874

Cornelis Springer created this pencil drawing, "Man met hoed," sometime in the 19th century. The study presents a man lying down, with the majority of the composition emphasizing the shape and form of his clothed body. The artist's use of line and shading plays with the semiotic interplay between visibility and concealment. The sketch relies on hatching to articulate depth, defining the contours of the clothing and the figure beneath. Note the textural contrast achieved through varied pencil strokes, creating a tactile dimension. The choice to depict the figure reclining is notable. It destabilizes conventional representations of the upright and active citizen, hinting at alternate narratives of leisure. Moreover, the absence of a clear narrative encourages us to consider the structure and form as the primary carriers of meaning, as the drawing resists being confined to a singular interpretation.