Ey kinders ziet dees heeren aan / Yder heeft een juffrouw by hem staan 1725 - 1780

This print was made in Amsterdam by Johannes Kannewet. It's a series of images that are accompanied by text. It depicts members of the Dutch upper classes in their finery. Images like this provide us with visual codes which speak volumes about the social and economic structures of 18th century Netherlands. The geography of the low countries allowed the Dutch to become a major trading nation. As they grew in wealth, the Dutch developed a distinctive identity in which images of prosperity played a significant role. Looking at the way that men and women are represented in this image, we can see how they used fashion to indicate their social class and wealth. To understand more about the nuances of how class and gender were communicated in the Dutch Republic, you might want to explore the Rijksmuseum’s online collection and compare this to other fashion plates of the period.