Pijprokende man 1629 - 1670

Jacques Dassonville created this engraving, “Pijprokende man,” sometime in the 17th century. The composition is dominated by a densely worked foreground featuring a man smoking a pipe. The texture, achieved through fine, cross-hatched lines, creates a rich visual field that emphasizes the scene’s immediacy. Dassonville uses line not only to define shape but to create a sense of depth and volume. The use of hatching and cross-hatching –densest in the shadows and sparser in the highlights – demonstrates his control over the medium. This technique is typical of engravings of the period, which sought to emulate the tonal range of paintings through purely linear means. The engraving operates within a semiotic system where smoking is a signifier of leisure, and by extension, of social status. However, it also invites us to consider the changing values and social dynamics of the 17th century. Through his mastery of line and texture, Dassonville encourages a continuous re-evaluation of both the aesthetic and cultural codes embedded within the artwork.