Hoofd van een man, naar rechts 1809 - 1869

Alexander Cranendoncq made this portrait drawing, ‘Head of a Man, facing right’, using graphite and white chalk, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The soft modelling of the face and neutral background give the image an immediacy and quietness that invites close contemplation. Consider for a moment what it meant to produce such a portrait in the Netherlands at this time. Dutch society was still highly stratified, and images, like this drawing, served to mark out social position. The man's clothing—a simple shirt and cap—suggests he is not of the upper class. But his calm, self-possessed demeanor hints at the subtle shifts in social identity that were beginning to take place, as the middle classes came to exert more economic and cultural power. The Rijksmuseum holds a wealth of documents that may give clues about Cranendoncq and the subject of his portrait. By studying such records, we can place this drawing in its historical moment and understand its role in the changing social landscape of the Netherlands.