Vechthanen met hun bazen en publiek c. 1660

Wouter Schouten made this drawing of fighting cocks with their handlers and audience, with pen in brown ink on paper, sometime between 1653 and 1704. The artist used delicate lines to describe a crowd of men surrounding two roosters, poised for a fight. Look closely at the figures: each is carefully rendered, their faces conveying expressions of anticipation and excitement. Schouten's technique is precise, using hatching and cross-hatching to build form and texture. The fluidity of ink on paper allowed him to capture the dynamism of the scene, from the focused energy of the roosters to the bustling activity of the crowd. Cockfighting was a popular pastime in the 17th-century, and this drawing offers insight into both the activity and the social hierarchy of the time. By focusing on the materials and methods used to create this artwork, we can consider the role of drawing as a tool for social commentary and historical documentation.