Peasant with a red cap holding a jug 1637

Adriaen van Ostade painted this panel of a peasant holding a jug, using oil paints on wood, sometime in the 17th century. The magic here really lies in the materiality of paint. Notice how the texture and viscosity are manipulated to bring the figure to life, with a visible layering that creates a sense of depth and shadow. Ostade has rendered the man's weathered face and worn clothing with an incredible tactile quality. The rough brushstrokes and earthy tones speak to the peasant's connection to the land and a life of manual labor. Of course, Ostade was not a peasant himself. The painting could be seen as an early form of social realism, a commentary on the lives of those in the lower classes. He is both ennobling the man, by giving him the honor of being portrayed, and holding him at a distance. It's a perfect reminder that artmaking is always a dialogue between materials, the maker, and their social context.