Krantenlezer 1865 - 1930

This is Jac van Looij’s drawing of a ‘Krantenlezer’, or newspaper reader. Looij was a contemporary of Breitner, and this drawing shares with his work an interest in the everyday life of the modern city. Consider the important role of the illustrated press in shaping public opinion at the turn of the century. The artist here gives us just a glimpse of a figure seemingly caught off-guard, absorbed in the events of the day as reported in the newspaper. In the Netherlands at this time, the press was closely linked to the political system, with newspapers attached to different political parties and religious denominations. By looking at the reader's dress, posture, and surroundings we can tell he's a man of some means who has the luxury to relax and read the news. To fully understand this image, we would need to do further research into the cultural history of reading in the Netherlands, and how the illustrated press helped to shape and reflect changing social attitudes.