Who painted Peasants Outside a Farm Slaughtering a Pig?

Peasants Outside a Farm Slaughtering a Pig was painted by Adriaen van Ostade in 1652.

Where can I see Peasants Outside a Farm Slaughtering a Pig?

Peasants Outside a Farm Slaughtering a Pig is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Peasants Outside a Farm Slaughtering a Pig?

Peasants Outside a Farm Slaughtering a Pig is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Peasants Outside a Farm Slaughtering a Pig

Adriaen van Ostade , 1652

Peasants Outside a Farm Slaughtering a Pig is an ink print by the Baroque artist Adriaen van Ostade. It dates from 1652 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Adriaen van Ostade’s print, created circa 1652, portrays a group of rural laborers gathered outside a farmhouse as they slaughter a pig. Executed on laid paper, the composition captures a moment of collective work, emphasizing the ordinary tasks that sustained village life in the Dutch Republic during the mid‑seventeenth century.

Subject & Meaning

The scene focuses on peasants in plain attire, their faces strained with effort as they attend to the animal. By depicting this unglamorous but essential activity, Ostade underscores the dignity of everyday labor and the communal reliance on shared tasks for survival in a agrarian community.

Technique & Style

The image combines etching with selective dry‑point lines, allowing for both fine tonal washes and sharply rendered edges. Laid paper contributes a subtle texture that enhances the chiaroscuro of light and shadow, giving depth to the figures and emphasizing the rustic atmosphere of the farmyard.

History & Provenance

Produced during Ostade’s mature period, the print reflects his sustained interest in genre subjects after his earlier paintings. It entered the European print market shortly after its creation, circulating among collectors of Dutch graphic art; later it passed through several private collections before being acquired by a museum in the early twentieth century.

Artist & collection

Artist

Adriaen van Ostade

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.