The Pigkillers
c. 1652
Medium
Etching in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image/plate: 11.2 × 11.2 cm (4 7/16 × 4 7/16 in.); Sheet: 11.8 × 11.7 cm (4 11/16 × 4 5/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
156408
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Here Adriaen van Ostade depicted the communal butchering of a pig, a topic alluded to in Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Hog. While Van Ostade used a less dramatic and calligraphic line than Rembrandt, the dark tone and concentrated format of the small roundel emphasize the importance of this source of food to the massing villagers. One holds a candle and another has a basin to catch the blood, while others, including children, smile in anticipation of the coming feast.
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 ...