The Negro Page 1652

Aelbert Cuyp painted ‘The Negro Page’ in the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by increasing global trade and, with it, the expansion of the Dutch slave trade. The painting offers a glimpse into the complex relationships between wealth, power, and race in 17th-century Europe. Here we see a young Black page, elegantly dressed, attending to his European masters and their horses. Cuyp captures the serene landscape, yet the presence of the page serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of Dutch prosperity. The boy's expression is unreadable, and his role is passive, reflecting the limited agency afforded to people of color in that era. What does it mean to see him rendered with such care, yet positioned in service? This painting doesn’t just depict a scene; it encapsulates a whole set of power dynamics rooted in colonialism and the commodification of human beings.