Visverkoopster en klant 1806

Ludwig Gottlieb Portman made this watercolor called ‘Fishmonger and customer’ around 1822. It depicts an everyday transaction between a woman selling fish and a man buying it. But what does this scene tell us about the society in which it was made? The work offers a glimpse into the social hierarchy of the Netherlands in the early 19th century. We can tell that the fishmonger occupies a lower social class through her clothing. She wears a headscarf and sits on upturned baskets. In contrast, the customer seems wealthier. Through his powdered wig, buckled shoes, and tailored coat we can assume he is a member of the Amsterdam bourgeoisie. The Rijksmuseum, where this work is housed, plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of Dutch history and culture. By collecting and displaying works like this one, the museum helps to create a national narrative, and invites us to consider the complex social and economic structures of the past. Historians, with access to the museum's archives, along with census records and other primary sources, help to illuminate the social and institutional contexts that shaped this artwork.