Schoolmeester c. 1650 - 1694

Dirck de Bray created this print, "Schoolmeester," sometime in the late 17th century. The scene, rendered in stark contrasts of black and white, captures a moment of instruction in what appears to be a school setting. The eye is immediately drawn to the figures: a seated schoolmaster and two students who stand before him. De Bray employs a rigorous structuring of space. The window frames behind the teacher and the table and students to the left create a grid-like backdrop that emphasizes the order of the classroom, perhaps suggesting the structures of knowledge being imparted. The teacher is seated in a box-like structure with a table, he holds what seems to be a pointer, this is mirrored by shapes hanging on the wall, which creates a semiotic tension to the overall meaning. Note the linear quality of the engraving—the sharp lines delineate forms and spaces. The light and shadow cast through cross-hatching, contribute to the didactic nature of the scene. It is through this formal treatment that De Bray engages with the philosophical themes around education and social order inherent to 17th-century Dutch society.