Artwork
The Group at the Fireplace
The Group at the Fireplace is an ink print by the Baroque artist Cornelis Pietersz Bega. It dates from 1648 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Group at the Fireplace is a 1648 etching by Cornelis Pietersz Bega, a Dutch Golden Age artist known for genre scenes of peasant life and domestic interiors.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts three figures in a crowded, intimate interior setting around a fireplace, conveying warmth and domesticity through the arrangement of characters and use of light.
Technique & Style
Bega employed sharp lines and deep shadows in the etching to create a sense of warmth and intimacy, characteristic of his specialization in capturing everyday life scenes.
History & Provenance
Created in 1648 by Cornelis Pietersz Bega, trained under Adriaen van Ostade, son of a sculptor and goldsmith, reflecting his training and the artistic trends of his time.
Context
Part of a broader trend among Bega's contemporaries focusing on peasant life and domestic interiors, this work aligns with the Dutch Golden Age's emphasis on everyday life depictions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Cornelis Pietersz Bega, or Cornelis Pietersz Begijn (1631/32 – 27 August 1664) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and engraver.
The Flirtation of a Young Innkeeper
The Refused Caress
The Strolling Musicians
The Mother Seated in an Inn
Street Vendor Selling Spectacles at the Door
The Three Drinkers
The Young Innkeeper
Peasants Outside an Inn Entertained by Musicians with a Flute and a Drum
Woman at a Door Hatch Talking to a Man and Children (The Schoolmaster)
Peasant Family in an Interior wtih the Father Feeding a Child
The Hearth (Le foyer)
Peasant Family Praying Before a Meal