Three Peasants at an Inn, One Looking Down a Jug
c. 1648
Medium
etching, with touches of drypoint, on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 10.5 x 9.1 cm (4 1/8 x 3 9/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1982.48.5
Art Historical Context
Adriaen van Ostade a leading Dutch Golden Age printmaker and painter, captures the earthy humor of peasant life in *Three Peasants at an, One Looking Down a* (c. 1648). This intimate etching depicts three rough-hewn figures gathered at a rustic inn, with one comically peering into a jug—likely checking for more ale. Van Ostade specialized in "low-life" genre scenes, portraying the daily antics of the working class with vivid realism and wry wit, reflecting the prosperous yet stratified society of 17th-century Holland. Rendered in etching with subtle touches of drypoint on laid paper, the work...
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 ...