Gramschap (Anger) - Pieter van den Berge

A character study depicting the emotion of anger, rendered in pen, ink, and watercolour by Dutch artist Pieter van den Berge.

This work by Pieter van den Berge, titled Gramschap, translates to Anger in English. It belongs to a series of allegorical character studies that explore human emotions through physical gesture and costume. Van den Berge, a Dutch engraver and draughtsman active in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, employs a direct, illustrative style here. The composition features two figures: one aggressor in a deep purple coat and a more passive, defensive figure dressed in muted green. The artist uses ink outlines to define the forms, followed by washes of watercolour to provide colour and volume to the garments.

The drawing captures a moment of interpersonal conflict. The figure on the left is depicted in a dynamic, lunging pose, with one leg raised to strike or intimidate the other. The figure on the right recoils, hand pressed to their chest, conveying shock or fear. The artist includes the number 63 in the upper corner, suggesting this piece was part of a larger collection or a systematic study of human types and temperaments. The signature P.V.D.B.F. appears in the lower left, confirming the attribution to Van den Berge.

This piece provides insight into the period's interest in physiognomy and the classification of human behaviour. The style is characteristic of Dutch works on paper from this era, which often prioritised clarity of narrative and expression over complex atmospheric effects. The paper shows signs of age, with a warm, off-white tone that complements the palette of the ink and paint. This print is a fine example of the illustrative traditions that informed both book production and private collections in the Netherlands during the early eighteenth century.