Adriaen van Ostade
Dutch, 1610-1685
The Pigkillers
INV-1564
Adriaen van Ostade
Dutch, 1610-1685c. 1652
The Pigkillers
Adriaen van Ostade Dutch, 1610-1685 →etchingprint
Date
c. 1652
Medium
Etching in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image/plate: 11.2 × 11.2 cm (4 7/16 × 4 7/16 in.); Sheet: 11.8 × 11.7 cm (4 11/16 × 4 5/8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
The Joseph Brooks Fair Collection
Here Adriaen van Ostade depicted the communal butchering of a pig, a topic alluded to in Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Hog. While Van Ostade used a less dramatic and calligraphic line than Rembrandt, the dark tone and concentrated format of the small roundel emphasize the importance of this source of food to the massing villagers. One holds a candle and another has a basin to catch the blood, while others, including children, smile in anticipation of the coming feast.
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