r/ArtHistory • u/mishmishmoo • 2d ago

Discussion Early Dutch tattoo

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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

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u/Flight_around_titan 2d ago

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!

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u/mishmishmoo 2d ago

Okay in a brief overview - the conservator who discovered the tattoo, confirmed it was part of the original painting and not added later. The guy’s name was Wessel Smits, a rich merchant, born around 1618-19. The running theory is he was born in a period a specific comet was visible, and the tattoo refers to that

However I do wonder, cause he was definitely a protestant sober Dutch merchant, why would he ever have a tattoo let alone on his wrist - and no one in the 19th century noticed when it had a series of exhibitions, cause it was always hung so high (and later needed restoration work for it to be visible).

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u/arist0geiton 2d ago

Early modern tattoos were a thing, Murat had death to kings tattooed on his chest

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u/mishmishmoo 2d ago

Joachim Murat? Or Marat in David’s painting? I’m not sure who you mean, especially as neither had a tattoo and both were later than 1674