Titelprent met musicerende en rustende figuren 1622 - 1693

Alexandre Bettou made this print of music making and merry-making in the 17th century. The scene may appear timeless, but this image would have been consumed in a specific time and place. Classical imagery and allegorical subjects were extremely popular in the Dutch Golden Age, a time when a rising merchant class asserted its cultural power through art patronage. But the imagery and allegories were not innocent. The emphasis on ‘leisure’ can be seen as propaganda in the context of labor exploitation by the Dutch East India Company and other imperial projects. Who has the privilege to ‘rest’ and make music? Who is denied that privilege? The historian can help us uncover the role of art in this context. Primary sources, such as company records and personal letters, can provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between art and social structures.