Man fietsend op een driewieler 1836 - 1912

This small drawing at the Rijksmuseum was made by Isaac Weissenbruch. The title is “Man cycling on a tricycle”, but that feels ironic, as we do not know when the drawing was made, the feel of the sketch is rooted in the Dutch Golden Age, a time of immense transformation in Dutch society. There is a certain charm in seeing such a mundane, modern object rendered in a style reminiscent of old master drawings. This contrast makes you question the relationship between progress and tradition. Weissenbruch made a career of landscapes, so to see him turn his eye to the figure is something of a surprise. The man on the tricycle is an interesting study in modern life as a subject for art. Consider how the simple act of cycling, something we might take for granted today, could have been perceived differently in Weissenbruch's time. Was he celebrating progress, or perhaps commenting on its effects on society? The emotional resonance of this artwork lies in its ability to prompt us to reflect on how far we've come, and what we've left behind.