Rokende man leest de krant 1763 - 1799

This is Francis Wheatley’s ‘Rokende man leest de krant’ at the Rijksmuseum, the product of engraving. The composition immediately divides the subject in two: the upper half fades into shadow, while the lower half, featuring the subject’s hand holding a newspaper, is brightly illuminated. Wheatley expertly manipulates this contrast to engage with the semiotics of leisure and knowledge. The act of smoking, emphasized by the man's focused gaze and the pipe's linear extension, becomes a signifier of contemplative leisure. This leisurely pursuit is juxtaposed with the pursuit of knowledge through reading, presenting a subtle commentary on the dual existence of pleasure and enlightenment in society. The graphic manipulation of light and shadow and the calculated placement of the man’s hands holding the newspaper serve to destabilize the act of reading as solely an intellectual activity. Instead, Wheatley positions it within a broader discourse on enjoyment and the everyday.