Peasant Family Entertained by a Fiddler with a Hunchback
c. 1652
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
image: 15.2 × 10.7 cm (6 × 4 3/16 in.) sheet: 16.4 × 11.6 cm (6 7/16 × 4 9/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.8316
Art Historical Context
Adriaen van Ostade's *Peasant Family Entertained by a Fiddler with a Hunchback* (c. 1652) captures a lively moment of rural merriment during the Dutch Golden Age. This etching depicts a humble family gathered around a fiddler and a hunchbacked figure, evoking the warmth and chaos of peasant life. Van Ostade, a master of genre scenes from Haarlem, specialized in portraying the daily lives of the lower classes with earthy humor, sharp observation, and a touch of caricature—influenced by Rembrandt's dramatic lighting and realism. As a product of the 17th-century Netherlands' booming print cultur...
About the Artist
Adriaen van Ostade · 1610–1685
Adriaen Jansz. van Ostade (1610-1685) was a Dutch Baroque painter and printmaker who specialized in genre scenes of peasant life. Born and raised in Haarlem, he became one of the most prolific and celebrated artists of the Dutch Golden Age, producing over 800 paintings, 50 etchings, and numerous drawings. Van Ostade's significance in art history lies in his masterful depiction of peasant life, a ...