Description:
Crowd of people in a street, surrounded by houses and trees
Label Text:
The Kermis or country fair had been a popular 16th century Flemish subject matter depicted in all its glory by artists like Pieter Breughel. The subject was introduced into the Northern regions by the artist Adriaan Brouwer and further developed by artists like Ostade and Steen.
The event was originally Catholic in origin, and was held on Saints day and commemorated the founding of a church and celebrated its patron saint. A religious service therefore was at the center of the event (de kerkemis or church mass). On this day nobody was allowed to work and moreover everyone rich or poor was allowed to be part of the celebrations and very few rules or restrictions were applied. Soon these large gathering attracted entertainers and profiteers of all ilk, and most of the celebrating found its way to the inns and beyond. In the Dusart print we are faced with a chaotic crowd of mostly inebriated peasants. Some are dancing like the threesome in the center of the print, kids are playing marbles, quacks are selling their potions and acrobats on stage show off their agility. In the Dutch republic the Kermis was heavily condemned by the Calvinist preachers because of the potential for immoral behavior and its obvious Catholic roots. Clearly this did not stop the people from celebrating this more and more secular commercialized event which often lasted a week or more.
Cornelis Dusart son of the organist at the St. Bavo church in Haarlem was one of the last pupils of Adriaen Ostade. While his earlier prints seem to follow Ostade’s style quite closely the later ones show traces of Jan Steen’s influence. It seems evident that he had a clear eye for detail and the subtle light effects we find in this print suggest a great command of the art of etching. It is therefore interesting that his figures and in particular their faces, are quite coarse and almost grotesque in nature implying a certain intend in portraying his peasants as buffoons and caricatures. Depicting peasants as such was not uncommon at all since these prints were mostly made to entertainment the city dwellers. The Kermis was a favorite subject in this regard, displaying all those elements that would amuse and simultaneously shock the pious Calvinist. Unlike Steen, Dusart does not superimpose any moral message or irony in his depiction but seems more interested in creating a grotesque Punch and Judy-like theatrical performance. The stage effect is further enhanced by the separation created by the darkened foreground; while the central action is illuminated by bright sunlight. The seated back-facing female adds another element of distance, forcing the viewer into the role of spectator. HKDV
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1992.25.24 |
