Artwork
A Baker Blowing his Horn
A Baker Blowing his Horn is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Adriaen van Ostade. It dates from 1655 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Adriaen van Ostade’s oil painting, dated 1655, presents a domestic genre scene that is now part of the collection at the State Hermitage Museum. The work captures a moment inside a modest interior, focusing on a baker engaged in a brief, ritualistic act.
Subject & Meaning
At the centre stands a man in a white shirt and a red cap, leaning through a window while sounding a curved horn. A small boy in a hat watches from behind, and a basket containing a round loaf rests on the sill, linking the figure’s activity to his profession as a baker.
Technique & Style
Ostade employs strong chiaroscuro, illuminating the baker’s face from one side so that the wrinkles and the folds of his clothing emerge with crisp contrast. The surrounding darkness deepens the sense of intimacy, while the green vines and shadowed archway frame the scene.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑seventeenth century, the painting entered the State Hermitage Museum’s holdings, where it remains on display as an example of Dutch genre painting and Ostade’s focus on everyday life.
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.
