Artwork
Village Fair

Village Fair is a chalk drawing by the Baroque artist Jan van Goyen. It dates from 1656 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: VG 1656; in later hand, lower left verso: [f?]dG [?].2
About this work
Overview
Village Fair is a drawing created by Jan van Goyen in 1656 using black chalk and gray wash on laid paper. It is a representative work by a prolific Dutch artist known for his diverse subjects and extensive output.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a lively village gathering with tents, carts, and people. It reflects the artist's interest in capturing everyday life and rural landscapes.
Technique & Style
Van Goyen employed loose, quick chalk lines and a soft gray wash to convey depth and shadow, leveraging the paper's texture to create a sense of vitality and realism.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Josephszoon van Goyen (Dutch pronunciation: ; 13 January 1596 – 27 April 1656) was a Dutch landscape painter.















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