Omroeper 1776 - 1777

Bernhard Schreuder created this pen drawing, "Omroeper," around the mid-18th century. The work presents a lively street scene, dominated by a town crier striding forward. Notice how Schreuder uses line to define form and suggest movement. The crier, with his exaggerated features and dynamic pose, embodies a sense of disruption. The loose, almost frenetic lines capture a moment of everyday chaos. This drawing invites us to consider the role of the 'Omroeper' within a semiotic system of signs. Does the artist highlight an authority figure or perhaps satirize him? The surrounding figures appear to react with amusement, challenging our assumptions about the crier's authority. The drawing destabilizes fixed meanings and encourages us to question the social dynamics at play.