Buste van een man 1630 - 1667

Moses ter Borch created this bust of a man using pen in grey-brown ink and brush in grey, likely in the Netherlands in the mid-17th century. The Dutch Golden Age was a time of great social and economic change. The rise of a wealthy merchant class created a new market for art, one that was less focused on religious or aristocratic subjects and more interested in everyday life. This drawing could be read as part of that trend: a simple portrait of an everyday man. At the time, artists started to find beauty and interest in the ordinary. Ter Borch's use of simple materials, like ink and brush, also speaks to a shift in artistic values. By studying the records of artists' guilds and the inventories of art collectors, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural forces that shaped the art of this period. The meaning of art always depends on its social and institutional context.