Black Presence at the Wallace Collection: The Young Archer
Take a closer look at representations of Blackness at the Wallace Collection to uncover a range of complex and captivating narratives.
A Young Archer (1639) by Govaert FlinckThe Wallace Collection
This portrait shows a young person dressed as an archer.
Their status as an archer is suggested by the presence of an ornate quiver...
... and bow.
The sitter appears pensive, missing our gaze.
Known as a ‘tronie’ or ‘expression’ in Dutch, this portrait was a product of popular artistic experimentations with emotion and physiognomy during the seventeenth-century.
Unlike with portraits, these images were created for the open market. The subjects were also typically fantastical characters, as opposed to real individuals.
The Young Archer was produced by the Dutch artist Goavert Flinck between 1639-40.
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Flinck studied in Rembrandt’s studio in Amsterdam’s Jodenbreestrat, 'Jewish Broad Street'. This neighborhood hosted a small number of the city’s Black community.
It is probable that Flinck took inspiration from those he came across in the local area.
For example, this known work by Rembrandt depicts two black men, presumably brothers. Whilst their identities are hard to establish, it is possible that they were free men in Amsterdam who lived in or around Jodenbreestraat, where Rembrandt was based.
Similarly, in the case of the Young Archer, it is probable that Flinck too took inspiration from those he came across in the local area.
The sitter may have been invited to attended Flinck’s studio, where they would have been asked to dress up for the portrait.
It is unclear why Flinck chose to portray an archer. However, inscriptions and etchings from the time suggest it may be an allusion to the celebrated bowmen of ancient Nubia, north-eastern Africa.
Beneath one etching of a Black archer by Cornelis Visscher, is the inscription “'Thus Arm'd, the Indian with his Dart & Bow, / Pursues with eager Eye, his Woodland Foe”.
A Young Archer (1639) by Govaert FlinckThe Wallace Collection
Given that the sitter’s identity is unknown, their gender remains subject to debate. Typically, scholars have deemed the archer a “boy” or “man”. However, the image’s status as a tronie, as well as the sitter’s arguably androgynous appearance, casts doubt on this narrative.
Nevertheless, despite their unknown identity, their presence speaks to the influence of Black communities in Dutch art and society more broadly.
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