print
- Museum number
- 1870,0625.650
- Description
-
The Kermis of St George; a village centre with peasants engaged in myriad activities: dancing to bagpipes, drinking at the right foreground, playing ball games at left foreground, enacting a mock battle between St George and the dragon at left middleground, watching a play performed at right background, and shooting arrows at a windmill in left background; the pennant of St George hangs from the inn at right foreground; after Pieter Bruegel; first state with address of Cock. c.1560
Etching and engraving
- Production date
- 1559 (c.)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 327 millimetres
-
Width: 516 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- For an impression of third state see also 1866,0407.43.
This plate was probably executed shortly after Batholomeus de Mompere issued the Kermis at Hoboken, also after a design by Bruegel, which can be dated to circa 1559-60. Intepretations of this print have varied drastically from understanding it as a positive view of peasants and a defence of their festivities, to a condemnation of peasant excesses and sinful behavior. Others have related this print to patriotic sentiments on the eve of the revolt against Spain.
Literature: H. Miedema, 'Realism and comic mode; the peasant', in Simiolus 9 (1977), pp.205-219; M. Carroll, 'Peasant festivity and political identity in the sixteenth century', in Art History 10 (Sept 1987), pp.289-314 (for a positive and patriotic view); Moxey, 'Pieter Bruegel and Popular Culture', in D. Freedberg (ed.), 'The Prints of Pieter Bruegel the Elder', Tokyo, 1989 (for negative interpretation of peasants); G. Luijten, in J. van Grieken - G. Luijten - J. van der Stock, "Hieronymus Cock: The Renaissance in Print", exh.cat. Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels and Fondation Custodia in Paris, New Haven and London, 2013, cat.no.72.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1870
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1870,0625.650
