Lachende boer

About this artwork

height 188 mm x width 142 mm

Art Historical Context

Jacob Gole’s “Lachende boer” (“Laughing Farmer”) is a small work on paper measuring just 188 by 142 millimetres. Created sometime between 1670 and 1724, the print captures a single, animated figure whose open-mouthed laugh invites viewers to share in a moment of rustic humour. The modest size suggests it was intended for intimate viewing, perhaps as a loose sheet or page in a collector’s album. As a work on paper, the piece belongs to the long tradition of Dutch printmaking that flourished in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Prints like this one allowed images of everyday life to circulate beyond the walls of wealthy homes, bringing lively peasant characters into a wider range of domestic spaces. Gole’s careful rendering of expression and texture rewards close looking, revealing the technical skill required to convey laughter and vitality through ink on paper. Though little else is recorded about this particular impression, its subject matter reflects the enduring Dutch interest in genre scenes that celebrated ordinary people. The farmer’s infectious grin continues to remind modern viewers of the timeless appeal of simple, shared joy.

About the Artist

Jacob Gole · 1660–1737

Jacob Gole (c. 1660-1737) was a Dutch engraver and mezzotinter renowned for his portrait engravings and his role in disseminating the mezzotint technique across Europe. Born in Paris to the celebrated Huguenot cabinetmaker Pierre Gole, he emerged as one of the most skilled printmakers of the late Dutch Golden Age. Gole's significance in art history lies primarily in his mastery of the mezzotint t...