Figuren en voorwerpen c. 1863

Cornelis Springer made this undated sketch titled, Figuren en voorwerpen, or Figures and Objects, with a pencil. Springer lived and worked during a time of immense social change, and here we see not the grand architecture he was known for, but glimpses of everyday people and objects. What stories do these quick strokes tell us about life in 19th-century Netherlands? Look at the figure of the boy; his clothes mark him as part of the emerging middle class. Then consider the women under umbrellas selling goods; they reflect the changing roles of women and labor. This sketch gives us a scene that feels immediate, as if we were there, watching Springer capture a fleeting moment of everyday life. What do these simple figures and objects reveal about the social tapestry of the past?