Artwork
Slaughtered Pig in a Barn
Slaughtered Pig in a Barn is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Adriaen van Ostade. It dates from 1643 and is held in the collection of the Städel Museum.
About this work
Overview
Adriaen van Ostade’s oil painting, dated 1643, presents a domestic interior where a freshly slaughtered pig hangs from a timber beam. The work resides in the collection of the Städel Museum. The composition captures a moment of ordinary rural labor, rendered with careful attention to the surrounding figures and the muted lighting of the barn.
Subject & Meaning
The central focus is a white pig, its flesh marked by fresh blood, its limbs spread as it dangles from the rafters. Around it, a man in a red cap, a woman in a brown dress, and a few chickens occupy the space, suggesting the routine of farm life and the communal nature of food preparation in the 17th‑century Dutch countryside.
Technique & Style
Van Ostade employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, allowing shafts of daylight to pierce the dim interior and model the forms with depth. The oil medium enables subtle gradations of tone, especially in the glossy skin of the pig and the textured wooden beams, while the muted palette reinforces the somber atmosphere of the scene.
History & Provenance
Created in 1643, the painting entered the Städel Museum’s holdings at an unspecified later date, becoming part of its Dutch Golden Age collection. Its provenance reflects the typical trajectory of genre works that moved from private collections to public institutions during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Context
The work belongs to van Ostade’s broader oeuvre of genre scenes that depict everyday activities of peasants and townsfolk. By focusing on a moment of butchery, the artist highlights the practical aspects of rural existence, aligning with contemporary Dutch interests in realism and moral observation of daily life.
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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.
