Portret van Stanislas Sobocki 1583

This drawing of Stanislas Sobocki was made by Hendrick Goltzius in the Netherlands, sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century. Goltzius was a leading printmaker and painter of the Dutch Golden Age, a period defined by its flourishing artistic production as well as significant social and political change. This drawing would have been made for an elite audience. Looking at the sitter, Sobocki, we can tell by his ruffled collar and fashionable hairstyle that he belonged to the upper class. As a society, the Dutch were concerned with their social standing and appearance, and thus portraiture was extremely popular, becoming a way for people to outwardly display their wealth and status. The Dutch Golden Age occurred during the Eighty Years’ War, when the Dutch fought for independence from Spain. Art played an important role in defining Dutch national identity during this time. Careful historical research into costume, social status, and the politics of the era can help us better understand the portrait’s original cultural significance.