Oil on wood
Netherlands, mid-17th century
Attributed to Jan Miense Molenaer (c. 1610-1668) – Dutch painter and Etcher of the Golden Age
Decorative carved frame
Dimensions, framed: 54.5 x 67.6 cm
Dimensions of the panel: 36.1 x 49.6 cm
Comparable paintings, attributed to Jan Miense Molenaer, fetch up to more than €15,000 at international auctions

In style and subject this genre painting corresponds very much to works by the Dutch Golden Age painter Jan Miense Molenaer. As typical Dutch genre painting, it represents rural life. Positioned in the center of the picture are several peasants. The focus however, lies on a woman wearing a white linen shirt, who stands out from the rest of the group that is assembled around her. The gathering takes place in a barn; some tools are visible in the otherwise very dark interior. Only the group is bathed in a little light that diffuses through the open barn door on the left hand side. The peasants seem to celebrate, they all look cheerful and a little mischievous.

The varnished painting is in a good condition with signs of age and wear. The surface shows subtle craquelure underneath the varnish as well as some scattered touch-ups, for example on the shoulder of the central woman. The painting shows slight color flaking where the frame has rubbed. The frame has some cracks and is minimally bumped. The framed dimensions are 54.5 x 67.6 cm, while the panel itself measures 36.1 x 49.6 cm.

Jan Miense Molenaer (approx. 1610-1669)

The Dutch painter, who was born around 1610 at Harlem, may have been pupil of Frans Hals. Like many other artists of the Dutch Golden Age he focused on making genre paintings depicting village scenes and motifs of rural life. With the help of those works, he became very popular. His pictures are represented in a lot of international museums, such as the National Gallery in London. (nlu)

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