Jan van Goyen (1596-1656) - Attributed, Pair of Village Landscapes

The two high-quality village landscapes with rich, lively figure staffage juxtapose two popular peasant themes that were often dealt with in one picture, namely peasants celebrating and peasants fighting each other, whereby in both cases the occasion is a village fair. The village landscape with the dancing peasants is dominated by a large tree to the right of the center, onto which the light falls from the side, bathing the treetop in a dramatic play of light and shadow. The foreground with a group of farmers in the middle is in deep shadow. The scene with the dancing peasants stands out all the brighter on the left. They dance around the violin player on the barrel. In the background on the left, the stalls can be seen. A river flows past the village on the right. The village landscape with the peasant fight in front of the inn shows the consequences of excessive drinking during the fair. The peasants approach each other with brooms, chairs, and pitchforks. A man has drawn his dagger but is being led away by his wife. On the left edge of the picture, sales stalls can be seen in bright light. Again a shadow zone occupies the foreground. A large, dark tree frames the landscape on the right. To the right of him, you can see a stand in the shade where a seller is offering food. Both compositions work effectively with strong contrasts of light and shadow and the juxtaposition of large and small motifs to create a varied scenery. The design of trees and houses follows the concept of the “picturesque”, as Dutch art theorists put it: the houses are crooked, the trees gnarled. The picture with the dancing peasants also shows the Dutch flag.
Dimensions:
34,5 x 58cm
Medium:
Oil on wooden panel