1652
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Dance in the Inn is a 1652 by Adriaen van Ostade, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This etching shows a crowded, dimly lit room where people are drinking, talking, and playing music. Some sit at tables with mugs, while others stand or lean against the walls. A woman in the doorway holds a baby, and a man near the center raises a glass. The walls are rough wood, and shelves hold barrels and jugs. Outside, a few people stand in the cold. The artist used strong contrasts between light and dark to make the scene feel lively. Look at how the light hits the faces and mugs while the corners stay shadowy. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how this lighting trick works in other art.
Adriaen van Ostade (baptized as Adriaen Jansz Hendricx 10 December 1610 – buried 2 May 1685) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of genre works, showing the everyday life of ordinary men and women.
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