Portret van een man met een bril 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing, "Portret van een man met een bril," in the Netherlands using graphite on paper. Vreedenburgh lived through both World Wars and their aftermath, a period of enormous social and political upheaval that saw a crisis in European identity and the rise of new mass media. While we don't know exactly when it was made, this drawing resonates with the documentary aesthetic associated with modern print culture and with a broader trend toward social realism in the arts. The sitter's anonymity, combined with the sketch-like quality of the drawing, suggests a desire to capture everyday life. The fact that Vreedenburgh chose such an ordinary subject suggests a democratizing impulse, as if to say that art can be found in every face. To understand this drawing better, one might research the Dutch artistic climate during Vreedenburgh's lifetime, including the rise of photography and its impact on portraiture, looking into the artist's life and other works. It reminds us that art is always a product of its time, reflecting the values and concerns of the society in which it was created.