Man kijkend naar een jongen met een vogelval (?). c. 1656

This pen and ink drawing of a man looking at a boy with a bird trap was made by Moses ter Borch, likely in the Netherlands during the mid-17th century. It depicts a bucolic scene of everyday life: a boy setting a trap for birds while a man watches from a window. But how might we read it in its proper social context? Dutch art of this period often reflected the values of its increasingly urban and mercantile society. Unlike the aristocratic art of other European nations, Dutch art often depicted everyday life, middle-class virtues, and the importance of hard work. Although seemingly a neutral depiction of everyday life, it reflects a society where capturing and controlling nature was becoming more commonplace. To fully understand this image, we could investigate the diaries and letters of 17th-century Dutch citizens. These resources would help us to understand the complex relationship between humans and nature during this period and the values that shaped artistic production.