Man met een gepluimde hoed voor een gordijn 1836 - 1912

Isaac Weissenbruch made this print, "Man with a Plumed Hat before a Curtain," sometime in the 19th century. It depicts a figure in theatrical garb, complete with a feathered hat and what appears to be a stage curtain in the background. Weissenbruch was part of the Hague School, a group of Dutch artists who reacted against the prevailing romantic style by choosing ordinary subjects and working in a naturalistic style. But, in this intimate work, we have a flamboyant figure who seems to be taken from the stage. The Netherlands had a thriving theatre scene in the 19th century, and this character might well be drawn from a popular play. An art historian might well look at playbills and other archival resources to understand the cultural context of this striking figure. The Rijksmuseum's own archives are a great place to start! The meaning of art is always contingent on its social context.