Man met een slaapmuts zit naast zijn bed bij de haard 1785

Reinier Vinkeles made this etching of a man with a sleeping cap sitting next to his bed by the fireplace in 1787. Here, we see a man seated at his desk in the late hours; the objects tell a story about social class and daily life in the Netherlands at this time. Note the books on the desk: literacy was becoming more common among the middle class. Also, the fireplace and the clock suggest domesticity and the concept of managing time and resources. This etching provides insight into the values and routines of the 18th-century Dutch middle class. It reflects an increasing emphasis on education, domestic comfort, and the management of daily life. Historians often turn to sources such as period literature, household inventories, and social commentary to enrich their interpretation of images like this.