Rustende wandelaar voor de herberg De Mosse Knip 1706 - 1750

Cornelis Troost created this watercolor titled, "Resting Traveler outside the Inn De Mosse Knip," at an unknown date. It hangs here in the Rijksmuseum. The image depicts a well-fed gentleman taking a break at an inn, leisurely enjoying a glass of wine and a pipe. The inn's sign hangs above him, indicating its name and perhaps its reputation. Holland in the 18th century was a society increasingly defined by its mercantile wealth, and this image subtly reflects that shift. Troost's work gives us a glimpse into the culture of leisure and consumption that was emerging at the time. Was he subtly critiquing the emerging merchant class, or celebrating their success? It is up to the viewer to decide. Further study into the history of Dutch inns, the economics of tobacco and wine, and the social structure of 18th-century Holland might provide deeper insights into this deceptively simple scene. Art history is often detective work.