Jongen met een omgekeerde mand op zijn hoofd c. 1649

Harmen ter Borch created this drawing, "Boy with an upturned basket on his head," using pen and brown ink, sometime in the 17th century. The drawing is dominated by the stark contrast between the light paper and the dark, assertive lines of the ink. This bold linearity defines the figure of the boy and the heavy basket, creating a striking visual tension. Ter Borch's technique of using quick, expressive strokes captures the weight and awkwardness of the boy’s load. The composition is deceptively simple. The subject, positioned almost centrally, seems to strain under the burden. The shadow cast by the boy anchors him to the ground, intensifying the sense of physical effort. Ter Borch uses the basket as a visual metaphor, upturning conventional ideas of support and balance. The drawing invites us to consider how meaning is constructed through form. Is it a comment on the burdens of youth? A study in the poetics of everyday struggle? The power of this piece lies in its ability to evoke these questions through its formal structure.