Adriaen van Ostade (Dutch, 1610–1685)
Company in a Tavern, n.d.
etching
Given in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver E. Williams by their children (Esther Williams McKinney, Oliver Williams, and Thomas Williams), 1968.4.
8” x 10”
Adriaen van Ostade devoted his work to the allure of quotidian experience, mostly portraying common people engrossed in their daily lives. While his early creations erred toward unflattering caricature of raucous peasants in shabby surroundings, Van Ostade gradually shifted to more subtle, realistic studies of rural life, commerce, and consumption. Though the space depicted in this etching is cluttered—containing both trappings of home and tools of trade in a blend of domesticity and labor—it still evokes warmth and community care as beer and conversation flow freely among the people gathered at the table.