Man met hond in venster 1744 - 1809

Editor: Here we have "Man met hond in venster" by Joannis Jacobus Bijlaert, dating from 1744 to 1809, a drawing in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. It’s so light and airy, like a fleeting impression. What draws your eye in this work? Curator: For me, it's the drawing itself. Consider the labor involved in producing a drawing like this. The access to and preparation of the paper, the pencil – how are those materials made, by whom, and under what conditions? A drawing like this raises questions about production, skill, and the art market of the time. Was this made for pleasure, for practice, or to be sold? Editor: I see, thinking about it as an object with its own history… Does that influence how you interpret the image itself? Curator: Absolutely! Notice the artist's technique - the delicate hatching to render form. It highlights the hand of the artist, the labor involved in transforming raw materials into a representational image. The level of detail also speaks to the social status implied – consider who had the leisure to dedicate time to sketching in such detail, both artist and sitter? And the consumer who would have acquired the piece? Editor: That’s a good point; it really places it in a social context that I hadn't fully appreciated at first. Are there other details that reveal more about the time period’s consumption of art? Curator: Certainly. Take a look at the depiction of the dog, which most likely indicates wealth. But is it necessarily about depicting "wealth", or perhaps signaling adherence to norms of the wealthy? Bijlaert provides social cues and constructs this idea through easily consumable visuals, with particular strokes from his labor-intensive craft. Editor: So, analyzing the drawing this way, it almost becomes a study in production and social signaling... Curator: Precisely. Looking at the materials and their context encourages us to think beyond the surface representation. Editor: Thanks! I'll definitely be considering the 'how' and 'why' of art production much more from now on!