Zelfportret van Gerrit Zegelaar, met pruik 1729 - 1794

This self-portrait was made by Gerrit Zegelaar, sometime in the 1700's, using black chalk on paper. The use of chalk gives this portrait a soft, almost dreamlike quality. Notice how the artist uses delicate strokes to capture the subtle gradations of light and shadow on his face. Paper and chalk are relatively accessible materials, yet here they require a high degree of skill to achieve such a lifelike representation. The powdered nature of chalk allowed Zegelaar to build up tone slowly, and is suited to the intimate scale of the drawing. However, the wig he wears connects to wider issues of class, labor and politics. Wigs were expensive, and wearing one indicated a certain social status, a certain distance from manual labor. So, while the drawing itself may seem simple, it's a window into the complex world of 18th century Dutch society, where appearances mattered and materials spoke volumes.