Naakte man met lange stok Possibly 1651 - 1652

This is a sketch of a nude man with a long stick, made with pen and brown ink by Harmen ter Borch in 1651. Nudity in art from the Dutch Golden Age may seem surprising, given the dominance of Calvinism. However, this was a period when Dutch artists were eager to master classical forms and ideas that had long been the standard in Italy and France. Looking back to ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration, artists turned to humanist principles and rediscovered an interest in the human body. Ter Borch made this sketch as a study of the male form, intended for use in history paintings and other narrative scenes. While a modern viewer may see this drawing as a work of art in its own right, at the time it was created, its purpose would have been primarily pedagogical and preparatory. To understand this image fully, one might consult Ter Borch’s other drawings, paintings by his contemporaries, and the teachings of the art academies in the Netherlands. This would show how art both reflected and shaped Dutch society in the 17th century.