Jongen met zijn handen onder een schort, naar rechts c. 1651

Harmen ter Borch created this drawing of a boy with a hat in the Dutch Republic sometime in the mid-17th century. In this period, the Dutch Republic was consolidating its power through trade and military might. As the country grew in wealth and influence, so did the middle class. Drawings like this were made for a growing art market that reflected the values and tastes of Dutch society. The quotidian subject of a boy in a hat, perhaps a stable boy, evokes the culture of everyday life that defined the output of Dutch artists at this time. Many of these artists had a keen interest in exploring the theme of social class. The boy is dressed in working clothes with his hands tucked into his apron. Ter Borch's sketch shows the boy with a sense of dignity, despite his class. To more fully understand this artwork, you might investigate the economic circumstances of the Dutch Republic at this time, and the impact that wealth had on the social hierarchy.