Portret van Louis Artan de Saint-Martin 1891

Louise Danse made this print, "Portret van Louis Artan de Saint-Martin," in 1891. It pictures a man in contemplation. In nineteenth-century Europe, the rise of the middle class changed the role of artists. Painters no longer relied solely on the patronage of the church or aristocracy. Instead, they could sell their work to a wider audience through commercial galleries. Printmaking became an increasingly popular medium, allowing artists to produce multiple copies of their work and reach an even larger audience. Etchings like this one by Louise Danse provided a more accessible and affordable way for people to collect art. The Rijksmuseum, where this print resides today, itself reflects this shift in artistic production. Established to showcase Dutch art and history, the museum became a public institution dedicated to education and cultural preservation. To fully understand this artwork, we can consult exhibition records, artists' letters, and contemporary critical reviews. These resources help us to interpret the print's meaning within its original social and institutional context.