Adriaen van Ostade

The Painter, c. 1647

Adriaen van Ostade was a prolific artist who was successful during his lifetime, producing approximately fifty etchings and eight hundred drawings throughout his career. He was born in 1601 and lived his entire life in Haarlem and frequently visited Amsterdam.

Adriaen van Ostade (Dutch, 1610-1685) The Painter (c. 1647) Etching and drypoint; eleventh state Acquired 1979 1979.2050 Baillieu Library Print Collection
Adriaen van Ostade (Dutch, 1610-1685) The Painter (c. 1647) Etching and drypoint; eleventh state Acquired 1979 1979.2050 Baillieu Library Print Collection

We can see the influence of Adrien Brouner and Rembrant van Rijn in Ostrade’s works from 1640 through his employment of a single light source. This composition is entirely illuminated by the light streaming in through the windows, which makes the centre of the room glow and creates an intimate atmosphere. The light invites us to peer into the nook beneath the stairs and enter into this humble domestic space. In the nineteenth century, G. W. F. Hegel wrote that peasant subject matter in Dutch art showed ‘the Sunday of life.’ Although contemporary viewers are likely to interpret these images of lower socio-economic classes with more scrutiny, at the time van Ostade’s etching presented an idyllic portrait of rural life.

Works created between approximately 1640-1670 have been termed the ‘middle period’ of Ostade’s artistic career where his representation of peasant life became less lewd and satirical and instead, more romanticised and cheerful. This development coincided with the increased prosperity of the Netherlands and we may interpret The Painteras an optimistic statement about Dutch identity.