Man met bontmuts, profiel naar rechts 1763 - 1826

Abraham van Strij created this drawing of a man in a fur hat, in the Netherlands, in the late 18th or early 19th century. Van Strij lived during a time of great social and political upheaval. The Dutch Republic was in decline, and the French Revolution was spreading radical ideas throughout Europe. Artists began to question the traditional institutions of art, such as the academies and salons, and to explore new ways of representing the world around them. Van Strij seems to ask us, how do we know this man? Is he a hunter, a trader, or perhaps an artist himself? Is he wealthy enough to afford such a luxurious hat? The man's gaze is directed off into the distance. We might wonder what he is thinking about, what his aspirations are, and what place such finery has in a world of revolution and change. These questions about the painting remind us that art history is not just about the study of objects, but also about the study of people and the social and cultural contexts in which they lived.