A Peasant Yawning 1600 - 1700

Editor: Lucas Vorsterman's engraving, *A Peasant Yawning,* created sometime between 1600 and 1700, presents such an immediate and relatable image. The man's caught mid-yawn – or perhaps even a shout? What do you make of the sheer…ordinariness of it? Curator: Ah, yes, the yawn eternal! You know, it's fascinating how Vorsterman captures this very human, very un-heroic moment. Forget your grand biblical scenes or noble portraits; here’s just… a chap, having a yawn. It’s wonderfully democratic, isn’t it? It’s also important to remember these images would have circulated widely, more widely than painting at least. But it also gets me thinking… who gets remembered, or depicted, and how? Does a simple yawn complicate notions of class or even art itself? Editor: It’s true! It’s less about idealizing someone, and more about just…showing them. What does this decision to highlight an ordinary person doing an ordinary thing tell us? Curator: Perhaps it is less about *who* is being represented, but the very fact of representation. He isn't ennobled or aggrandized. Instead, we are invited into this shared, albeit unflattering, moment of human existence. Editor: So, instead of grand narratives, we get a brief snapshot of everyday life? I hadn't considered it that way before! Thanks, that’s given me a lot to think about. Curator: It’s all about perspective, isn't it? One artist's yawn is another's invitation. And I suppose that is the fun and adventure of viewing, of really seeing art.