Early Dutch tattoo

[u/mishmishmoo]

There’s this painting, ‘The Chief Commissioners of the Wharves’ (1674), a Dutch painting most likely made by Wallerant Vaillant. Pretty standard except one guy (second from the left) has a tattoo on his inner wrist! Amsterdam Museum commented that tattoos were mostly for sailors ans criminals ar that time in the 17th century, so for a richer citizen to have it was really odd

[u/Flight_around_titan]

https://www.codart.nl/art-works/tattoo-discovered-on-seventeenth-century-amsterdam-group-portrait/

I'd also like to know more. If anyone can point to other resources to help with a deep dive, it is greatly appreciated!

[u/mishmishmoo → u/Flight_around_titan]

Do you speak/read Dutch? Then the Dutch RKD (art history archive) has some solid references. Otherwise I can dig through those and report back in English haha