The Young Innkeeper
c. 1650
Medium
Etching on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 17.4 × 15.6 cm (6 7/8 × 6 3/16 in.); Sheet: 18.2 × 16.4 cm (7 3/16 × 6 1/2 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
108940
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
While his talents were wide-ranging—from painting and drawing to etching—Cornelis Pietersz. Bega’s interest in Dutch peasant life and the ridiculed or pestered woman transcended his media and reappeared frequently in his work. In this image and A Man Caressing the Young Hostess (1965.634), unidealized drunkards lecherously interact with a young inn hostess. These prints feature the same wooden bench, barrel, and window closure, and the figures are in almost identical positions. The woman’s expre...