Zittende man steekt zijn pijp aan 1620 - 1635

Editor: Here we have “Zittende man steekt zijn pijp aan,” or “Seated Man Lighting his Pipe,” made sometime between 1620 and 1635 by an anonymous artist. It’s currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. The piece is created using ink and charcoal, giving it this really lovely, soft, almost hazy quality. I am really intrigued by his peculiar headdress and rather shabby dressing robe, making me think of working-class men's pastimes during this time period. How would you interpret this drawing? Curator: As a materialist, I see the work first through its production. Consider the paper itself: what quality is it? Was it locally sourced, and if so, what does that tell us about the accessibility of artmaking at that time? The act of drawing, even seemingly casually, relies on the accessibility of material and leisure. Ink and charcoal were relatively inexpensive and easier to get. Who had access to the time to draw, and how does this relate to representations of the laboring class? Editor: That's a side of the artwork that never would have crossed my mind! Are you saying the choice of using drawing itself might be commenting on the availability of art materials for all socioeconomic classes at the time? Curator: Precisely! Consider the availability of pipes, tobacco and matches for this individual, in comparison to what that represents in the lives of ordinary people. Could this be a political statement or an anthropological documentation on Dutch men and consumerism during the Dutch Golden Age? Editor: That gives me a new perspective. The casualness hides a subtle socioeconomic commentary. Thinking about materials makes me rethink the whole picture. Curator: Indeed. Analyzing the material conditions of production opens a whole new avenue for interpreting this image.