Sitzender Mann mit Pelzmütze und Weinkrug, dabei ein Hund

Johannes Vermeer made this drawing of a seated man with a wine jug, fur cap and dog using brown and white chalk. The image evokes the Dutch concept of ‘gezelligheid’, a cozy sense of well-being, but the gentleman’s slightly slumped posture suggests a more complicated story. It was made during the Dutch Golden Age, a period of huge economic growth when the Netherlands was a world leader in trade and art. But even then, wealth was not evenly distributed and alcohol was a social problem. The drawing might thus be a genre painting, an image of everyday life that carries a subtle moral message about the dangers of over-indulgence. Researching the cultural history of the Netherlands in the 17th century can reveal the many layers of meaning embedded in this apparently simple sketch.