Just a couple of observations on this painting that I used Tuesday to illustrate the post. It's called "A Dutch Courtyard" and was painted by Pieter de Hooch in 1658 to 1660, nearing the end of the Dutch hold upon the Hudson Valley of New York as part of their North American empire. I like the way it is a "try this" moment as I would take it that the serving woman is trying the drink of the man holding the pipe as he has no drink otherwise. The beer is mid-dark. There is no chair for her. There is no chair for her mirror minor image, either, the little serving girl to the right. Her glass is one of those delicate long narrow beer glasses I have seen pictures - a spiral swirl of thin glass wrapping its way up. A vine. Or maybe bine. Or something else. But look at buddy no pipe. He's got a frikkin' growler in his hand or at least the sort of vessel I have seen trotted out as a special Christmas offering at the beer store. Plus a breast plate. And a heavy wall around them. Does the gentleness of the scene also reference stark realities beyond it? And the somewhat lonely church tower keeking over the wall. What's that about?
Comments
Craig - October 26, 2012 8:42 AM
I've always been amazed at the role food and drink played in Dutch art of the 17th century—from Vermeer to van der Helst and de Bray—all really incorporated food and drink and or eating and drinking into so many of their paintings. Really beautiful stuff.
Alan - October 26, 2012 9:05 AM
They certainly are homey folk and proud of how the Republic gave blessings of freedom and prosperity. One thing of interest that crosses in my reading is how pre-Revolutionary writings reference how the Dutch throw it away and "accept" a return to tyranny at a certain point in the 1700s.
Kyle - October 26, 2012 8:41 PM
I appreciate your summary of some key details, especially the inference of the "stark realities."
Speaking of which: did you notice the serving woman appears pregnant?
Alan - October 26, 2012 10:12 PM
Big hoopy dresses were the thing then and there. Not sure she is even serving when I think about it. Is this a family scene?
Frank McDonald - October 27, 2012 10:57 AM
I think it is a family scene. A familiar scene for a lot of us. Having a beer on the patio. The gentleman and his friend have just returned home with a take home beer. The glass is a shared one. It doesn't appear to be a tavern. There are no other tables and chairs. The vessel is very much like a dzban still used for take out beer in the Czech Republic.
Frank McDonald - October 27, 2012 11:46 AM
Maybe the little girl just returned from the pub? From the website linked above, "If the family wanted to drink beer at home, they would send one of the kids to the local hospoda to have their džbán filled up. Still today, in small town and villages, is common to send the children to the nearest pub to bring beer."
Kyle - October 27, 2012 12:52 PM
Good point about hoop dresses. Guess they could obfuscate what's going on beneath?
And color of the woman's dress is suggestive. So overall, hard for me to get a "family" vibe from the scene. I wonder if there are further clues within that open door.
Ron Pattinson - October 28, 2012 7:25 AM
That church tower looks familiar. Where the hell is it? I think it's the Domtoren in Utrecht.
Snickering Imp - October 28, 2012 12:18 PM
Some additional background (just a few sentences) on the painting here.
"the tower of the Oude Kerk in the background locates the scene in Delft"
That growler like vessel makes appearances in similar works and likely has the same purpose as a growler which makes sense with the assumption the single glass in the painting is communal. This aligns with the džbán mentioned above. One of the images there shows a woman and child passing this vessel between them raising a similar question as Frank raised above regarding the girl returning from the pub.
These are great paintings. They give a feeling of warmth and comfort that make you want to grab some friends to share a beer with.
Alan - October 28, 2012 12:47 PM
Interesting. Here is a less refined drinking scene by de Hooch and there is a jug and one glass depicted as well. So, you would have taken a turn, drunk your measure and passed it on.
Frank McDonald - October 28, 2012 12:54 PM
Just when my friends thought I couldn't get more boring, Alan has me talking about 17th century Dutch painters.
Have a look at this dzban, for sale today in the Czech Republic. Pretty close to the one in the painting.
Pivní Filosof - October 28, 2012 3:38 PM
One of the best beer drinking experiences this year was at Únětický Pivovar, sitting at the Brewmaster's table and drinking from his personal, 2l copper korbel. The thing would go around the table and whenever it looked it wouldn't make it through another round, this 70 y.o. Master Brewer would get up, go to the lagering cellar for a refill. Beer can't get better than that!
PS: The džban mentioned in the comment above by Frank is still decorating the kitchen, unfortunately...