Artwork
Peasant Family in an Interior with the Mother Feeding a Child
Peasant Family in an Interior with the Mother Feeding a Child is an ink print by the Baroque artist Adriaen van Ostade. It dates from 1647 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Peasant Family in an Interior with the Mother Feeding a Child is an etching created by Adriaen van Ostade in 1647. The work is executed on laid paper using a combination of etching and drypoint techniques.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a peasant family engaged in everyday activities within a domestic setting. A mother feeds a child, while a man reads by a fire and other children observe from behind a table, capturing a moment of quiet domestic routine.
Technique & Style
Van Ostade employed etching and drypoint to achieve a range of tonal values and textures. Deep lines and soft shading convey the scene's atmosphere, while drypoint touches create blurred edges, adding to the overall sense of quiet realism.
Context
This work is characteristic of van Ostade's focus on genre scenes, reflecting his interest in portraying the daily lives of ordinary people during the Dutch Golden Age.
Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen van Ostade (baptized as Adriaen Jansz Hendricx 10 December 1610 – buried 2 May 1685) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of genre works, showing the everyday life of ordinary men and women.
