Roelof Bicker en een jongen in zeventiende-eeuwse kleding c. 1846 - 1882

Cornelis Springer made this drawing titled 'Roelof Bicker en een jongen in zeventiende-eeuwse kleding' in the 19th Century. Springer lived in a time of burgeoning national identity and cultural introspection in the Netherlands. This piece is a window into the 19th-century Dutch fascination with their Golden Age. The artist revives the past through the attire of Roelof Bicker and the young boy, possibly a reference to class and generational legacy. The choice of clothing is not just aesthetic; it embodies power, status, and a constructed image of masculinity. Notice the attention to detail in the ruffs, hats, and swords. This is no simple documentation, but an interpretation laden with the values of Springer’s time. How does revisiting history shape our understanding of ourselves? What narratives do we choose to tell, and what do they say about us? This drawing invites us to reflect on the stories we keep alive and the ways we see ourselves in the grand narrative of history.