Dummy Board Figur, Dutch school, around 1700

Dummy Board Figure of a Young Boy
Dutch school, circa 1700
Oil on a shaped wooden panel

This dummy board depicts a young boy wearing a red coat, a lace neckcloth, pale stockings and dark shoes, holding a dark hat against his body. The panel follows the outline of the figure, creating a trompe-l’œil impression of a person standing in the room.
Dummy boards were placed in domestic interiors—in halls and corridors, beside fireplaces or on staircases—to surprise and amuse the viewer. Depicting people or animals, these painted silhouettes introduced a playful illusion of presence into the home.