Hondje op een stoel 1683 - 1746

Nicolaas Verkolje made this mezzotint, "Dog on a Chair," in the Netherlands, sometime between 1690 and 1746. It depicts a small dog perched on a rather grand, leather-upholstered chair. Images like these were popular among the upwardly mobile merchant class in the Dutch Republic. They suggest domesticity, wealth, and a certain aspiration to aristocratic status. The dog itself seems to be imitating its master, adopting a posture of self-importance. Dogs, of course, had long been symbolically associated with loyalty and obedience, but here, the dog seems to be elevated to a more equal status. Mezzotint was a relatively new printing technique in the 17th century, prized for its ability to produce rich tonal gradations. As an art historian, I see this print as a fascinating document of its time. To fully understand it, I'd want to research the history of pet ownership in the Netherlands and study other examples of Dutch genre painting. The meaning of art always depends on its historical and cultural context.