An early sixteenth century optometrist 's shop: Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen's "Lx siin tiid".
In Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen's early Dutch painting (ca. 1511-1514), an elderly gentleman hands a pair of spectacles to a young woman within a richly filled interior. Although the painting has acquired various names and is described more generally as a genre piece, no research has considered its specific imagery and the reason for its commission. This article argues that the painting depicts an early sixteenth century eyeglass maker's shop and may even be the earliest known advertisement for such an establishment.
Newman
Sara
S
Department of English, Kent State University, P.O. Box 5190, Kent, OH 44242-0002, USA. snewman@kent.edu
D000329:Advertising / Q000266:history*; D005197:Famous Persons; D049669:History, 16th Century; D009426:Netherlands; D009907:Optometry / Q000266:history*; D010151:Paintings / Q000266:history*