Vomiting Peasant 

Sebald Beham created this engraving, "Vomiting Peasant," sometime in the first half of the 16th century. The work illustrates the crude realities of peasant life, and the social hierarchies of the time. The image is dominated by two figures: one peasant is vomiting, while the other stands by, holding a pig. Beham exaggerates their physical forms to emphasize the perceived vulgarity of the lower classes. The inscription above translates to “You make it too crude.” The print thus suggests that the peasant's actions are excessive and unrestrained. Made in Germany during the Reformation, this work can be seen as part of a broader critique of social order. Artists often used images of peasant life to comment on issues of morality, labor, and class relations. To fully understand the print, we can research the social and economic conditions of 16th-century Germany, looking at the role of peasants in the agricultural economy, and the cultural stereotypes that shaped their representation.