Mansfiguur

Jan de Waardt made this drawing of a man in the Netherlands using graphite. The image presents an intriguing study in the construction of masculinity in the late 19th century. We see a standing man, with his hands in his pockets, sporting a generous mustache and a brimmed hat. The loose style suggests it might be a sketch for a larger project. Consider the social context in which an artist makes such a figure. Is he celebrating the common man, elevating the working class to a position worthy of artistic attention? Or is he simply studying a type, categorizing men according to social roles? Perhaps the artist's diaries or letters might reveal his intentions. In any case, the image prompts us to consider the politics of representation. Whose images get circulated? Who is deemed worthy of depiction and how? These are questions that social historians of art continue to ask.