Werkende man op het achtersteven van een boot 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh created this pencil drawing, titled 'Werkende man op het achtersteven van een boot', sometime during his lifetime, which spanned from 1880 to 1946. It now resides in the Rijksmuseum. The sketch depicts a man at work on the stern of a boat. Given Vreedenburgh's body of work, it’s likely this scene is situated within the Netherlands, a country whose economic and cultural identity has long been intertwined with its waterways. This drawing may reflect a broader artistic interest in capturing everyday life and labor. It’s important to ask: what was the social status of the working class in the Netherlands during Vreedenburgh's time? How did institutional structures like art academies and exhibitions shape perceptions and representations of labor? Did art depicting laborers serve to celebrate or critique the existing social order? By exploring archival materials, exhibition reviews, and social histories, we can start to understand the complex cultural and political meanings embedded in this simple sketch.