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Peasant Wedding Dance
(Baroque Europe )
Scenes of peasant celebrations that Pieter Bruegel the Elder made popular in the 1560s were still so in the 1600s, and his son Pieter II devoted himself to filling that demand. This lively scene by the son is derived from a famous painting of 1566 by the father (now in Detroit). In 1607, when this painting was dated, the original was in Emperor Rudolf's collection in Prague, so the son relied on an engraving. There are many versions of this compositon by the artist, but this is one of the finest.
Peasant life was hard, and weddings offered rare opportunities for diversion. The bride sits under a crude crown honoring her as "queen for a day" while neighbors offer gifts of coins. The angular, suggestive movements of the dancers whirling to bagpipe music convey a raucous mood that probably amused urban patrons.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2007-2008 | Déjà Vu? The Repeating Image in Renaissance and Baroque Art. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 2002-2004 | A Magnificent Age: Masterpieces from the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte. |
| 1997-1998 | Pieter Breughel der Jünger-Jan Brueghel der Ältere: Flämische Malerie um 1600, Tradition und Forschritt. Kulturstiftung Ruhr, Essen; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. |
| 1980 | Salute to Belgium. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 6/25/1951 | Treatment | cleaned; coated; loss compensation; surface cleaned; x-ray |
| 11/1/1976 | Treatment | repaired |
| 11/1/1976 | Treatment | inpainted; loss compensation; x-ray |
| 6/30/1981 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 7/1/1981 | Treatment | inpainted; surface cleaned |
| 5/22/1990 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 7/1/1990 | Treatment | coated; inpainted; loss compensation; surface cleaned; varnish removed or reduced |
| 7/19/1990 | Examination | chemical analysis; examined for condition; examined for technical study |
| 8/25/1996 | Examination | examined for loan |
Geographies
Belgium, Antwerp (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 15 x W: 22 1/2 in. (38.1 x 57.2 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.364