Violin Player Seated in the Inn

Cornelis Dusart and his teacher Adriaen van Ostade both delighted in rustic portrayals of peasant life. This etching is a variation on a popular theme: peasants carousing inside or in front of an inn. It portrays old and young alike enjoying the jovial melodies of itinerant fiddlers, and contains a wealth of anecdotal detail, such as the child’s socks drying near the fireplace. But while Ostade employs quirky lines with bold contrasts of light and dark, Dusart uses smaller, more densely placed marks to create a grayer tonality.