Dancing Round the Maypole
1750
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
Dominant colour
1750
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
Dominant colour
Dancing Round the Maypole is a 1750 by Unknown, held at Statens Museum for Kunst.
This black-and-white image shows a lively village scene with people dancing around a tall, decorated maypole. The crowd is split between those holding hands in a circle and others watching from doorways or sitting on benches. Behind them, simple houses and a church tower rise against a flat, distant horizon. The maypole itself stands out as the focal point, wrapped in ribbons that the dancers weave through. The artist used shading to give depth to the figures and buildings, making some areas look darker than others. Look up *chiaroscuro* next to see how this lighting trick works.
