Portret van Pieter Jacobsz Schout, burgemeester van Haarlem 1741 - 1795

Cornelis van Noorde created this print of Pieter Jacobsz Schout, burgemeester of Haarlem, in the 18th-century. It presents a compelling intersection of personal portraiture and civic identity within the Dutch Republic. The visual codes of dress and bearing immediately communicate status. The sitter's formal attire and dignified pose speak to the power and decorum expected of civic leaders in the Netherlands at this time. Haarlem, like other Dutch cities, was governed by an oligarchy of wealthy merchants and landowners. Portraits like this were part of a culture in which power was represented through imagery. To understand the image fully, we might delve into the archives of Haarlem, exploring its civic records, guild histories, and family genealogies. In doing so, we recognize that art's meaning is always contingent on social and institutional contexts.