Man in zeventiende-eeuwse kleding c. 1860 - 1866

This sketch of a man in seventeenth-century clothing was made by Cornelis Springer. It is currently located at the Rijksmuseum. Springer was born in the Netherlands at a time when Dutch art was deeply invested in its Golden Age. This sketch is evidence of the cultural power held by the seventeenth century on the Dutch imagination. We can see that Springer, drawing in the nineteenth century, has turned his attention back to that era. The image of the man wearing a ruff collar is instantly recognizable as a reference to a past age of Dutch power and influence. Why did Springer choose this particular subject? Was he nostalgic for a time when the Netherlands was a major player on the world stage? Or was he simply interested in the fashion of the period? These are questions that we, as historians of art, can only answer by looking at the wider social and cultural context in which this sketch was made.