Het is Sint Maarten, als men ziet aan 't helder vuren / Der knapen, die om turf en brandhout bij de buren [(...)] 1800 - 1833

This color etching, made by Philippus Jacobus Brepols, depicts the celebration of Saint Martin's Day. The print offers us a window into the social customs of the Netherlands during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Saint Martin's Day, celebrated on November 11th, was a folk tradition, particularly popular with children, who would go door to door singing songs and asking for treats, similar to modern-day Halloween. Here, we see them gathering wood for a bonfire, a central feature of the festivities. The verses printed on the sheet provide context for the scene, suggesting the songs they might have sung. The built environment is notable here: the architecture suggests a prosperous urban setting. The clothing of the figures also indicates a degree of social status among the participants, reflecting the economic structures of the time. To fully understand a work like this, one might delve into collections of folk songs and historical accounts of festivals in the Netherlands. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.