European Painting before 1900, Johnson Collection Man at a Desk Made in Dordrecht, Netherlands, Europec. 1800 Abraham van Strij, Dutch (active Dordrecht), 1753 - 1826 Oil on panel * Gallery 273, European Art 1500-1850, second floor Cat. 711 John G. Johnson Collection, 1917 |
LabelIn the Netherlands, reading was a practical necessity for members of the merchant class and their wealthy heirs. The money bags lying on the floor outside the open lockbox suggest that this man may be a merchant or a banker. The large format and wide spaces between lines of text in the book he is reading indicate that he is occupied with a ledger. The grand, upright volume with elaborate clasps on the table behind him is likely his Bible. The framed picture above the Bible reproduces a painting by seventeenth-century artist Aelbert Cuyp who, like Van Strij, was from Dordrecht.Social Tags [?]erudition [x] genre [x] influence of vermeer [x] merchant [x] realism [x] [Add Your Own Tags]* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
