Ontwerp voor een gebeeldhouwde voet, waarschijnlijk voor een kabinet of kist c. 1700

Michiel van der Voort the Elder made this drawing of a sculpted foot, likely for a cabinet or chest, using pen in brown and grey ink, with grey and brown wash. It presents us with an intimate glimpse into the artistic and social life of the Southern Netherlands in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Van der Voort, born in Antwerp, operated within a rich artistic tradition shaped by the city's powerful guilds and the prevailing influence of the Catholic Church. The design itself, featuring classical figures in dynamic poses, speaks to the period’s fascination with antiquity, but the intended function suggests the luxurious tastes of a rising merchant class. To fully understand this drawing, we might consult guild records, period inventories of domestic furnishings, and studies of artistic exchange between Antwerp and other European centers. What this design reveals, however, is that meaning emerges not only from the artist's hand but also from the complex interplay of social forces.