Man steekt zichzelf in de borst bij het ziekbed van een vrouw 1786

Reinier Vinkeles created this print, titled "Man steekt zichzelf in de borst bij het ziekbed van een vrouw", using etching. This image depicts a scene of intense emotion. The setting, with its grand architecture and ornate bed, suggests a narrative about the elite, perhaps dramatizing a moment of crisis within the Dutch upper class. The man's dramatic gesture can be understood in the context of the enlightenment era, when ideas about individual emotions were often depicted in art, particularly during the late 18th century. It represents a shift towards more intense and personal expressions. Vinkeles's work reflects the values of his time, but it also opens up questions about how we represent extremes of emotion. Historical research into the prints of this period can reveal the social values of the time, and the ways in which emotional responses to social conditions were negotiated and represented.