Studies of Peasants

Studies of Peasants by Herman Saftleven II|Jan Brueghel the Elder

Medium

Black chalk, brush and gray and pink wash. Framing lines in pen and brown ink at top, right, and bottom margins.

Dimensions

2 5/16 x 3 3/8 in. (5.9 x 8.5 cm)

Classification

Drawings

Department

Drawings and Prints

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Gift of Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1880

Accession Number

80.3.472

Tags

MenWorkingAxes

Art Historical Context

In the tranquil world of 17th Northern European drawings, *Studies of Peasants* captures the humble grit of rural life. Attributed to Herman Saft II and Jan Bruehel the Elder, this sketch dates to 1625–85, a period bridging Flemish and Dutch artistic traditions. Saftleven, a Dutch master of genre scenes, and Brueghel, famed for his lush landscapes, both drew inspiration from everyday folk, reflecting the era's growing fascination with peasant labor amid the Baroque's dramatic realism. Executed in black chalk with brush and subtle gray and pink washes, plus framing lines in pen and brown ink, ...

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