Geknielde man kust de hand van een vrouw 1797 - 1802

Reinier Vinkeles made this print of an unknown date with etching. The image captures a man kneeling and kissing a woman's hand in an interior setting. During the 18th century, in countries like the Netherlands where Vinkeles lived, such a gesture would have been a formal display of respect or affection within the upper classes. The print is a window into the social mores of the time. We might consider the codes of courtship and social status that governed interactions between men and women. The setting appears to be a well-appointed home. By looking at details like clothing, furniture, and architecture, historians piece together information about class structures. Prints like this served as a visual record of those structures. When interpreting art, we use a variety of resources, from letters and diaries to treatises on etiquette and design. These sources help us to understand the role art played in its own time, and to draw our own conclusions about how artistic choices both reflected and shaped social values.