Italiaanse binnenplaats met een bakkerij 1644 - 1653

Thomas Wijck created this pen and brown ink drawing, titled 'Italian Courtyard with a Bakery', sometime during his career between 1641 and 1677. Wijck, a Dutch Golden Age painter, was fascinated by Italy, a place he had visited and whose culture and landscapes he often depicted. The drawing captures a slice of daily life, focusing on the gritty, everyday realities of labor and urban existence. We see figures engaged in work, amidst the backdrop of a weathered bakery, complete with ovens and tools. There is a performative aspect in the drawing of a commercial space that depends on manual labor. Wijck seems to be challenging the then-prevailing idealized visions of Italy. He draws attention to the working classes and the spaces they inhabit. The scene is not romanticized; instead, it's presented with a stark realism that invites viewers to consider the social dynamics and human stories embedded within this humble setting. It's a moment frozen in time, rendered with a tender attention to the laboring body.