Artwork
Rommelpot player
Rommelpot player is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Judith Leyster. It dates from 1630 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The presence of children alongside the player suggests a domestic or neighborhood setting in which this folk tradition was observed and passed down.
The painting depicts a man playing a rummelpot, a friction drum, accompanied by a boy and a girl. The rummelpot is a rustic noisemaker traditionally associated with folk customs and seasonal street performances in the Dutch Republic, particularly around New Year, when beggars and itinerant musicians went door to door producing its distinctive rumbling sound by rubbing a stick attached to a membrane stretched over a pot.
In Haarlem genre painting of the period, such figures typically functioned as a commentary on lower-class life and the sounds of the streets, contrasting the refined music of the elite with the crude entertainment of the poor. The presence of children alongside the player suggests a domestic or neighborhood setting in which this folk tradition was observed and passed down. The work thus represents both a specific musical custom and a broader interest in everyday Haarlem street culture during the 1630s.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on a poplar panel support, as recorded by the Art Institute of Chicago’s records for the work. The handling shows the fine, controlled brushwork and lively handling associated with Haarlem genre painting of the 1630s, with attention to textures such as the rummelpot’s drumhead and the figures’ clothing. Stylistically, the composition is organized around a central musical performance, with the young player at the drum and two children flanking him, creating a balanced, lively scene of domestic music-making typical of Leyster’s genre scenes.
History & Provenance
The work now associated with Judith Leyster is dated to circa 1630, aligning with the artist’s early Haarlem period. It entered the Art Institute of Chicago by 1912 through the Jakob Gsell collection, indicating early twentieth-century Central European ownership before its transfer to the museum. The painting’s subject, a musician playing a rommelpot, supports its classification as a genre scene typical of Leyster’s production in the 1630s.
The painting known as Rommelpot player is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Created in 1630, the work is attributed to Judith Leyster or a follower of Frans Hals and is executed in oil on panel. While the specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records, the piece is confirmed to be part of the museum's holdings in Chicago.
The artwork depicts a man playing a friction drum alongside a boy and a girl. No information regarding past exhibitions or a detailed provenance chain is available in the provided sources.
Context
Judith Leyster created this genre scene in 1630, depicting a man playing a rummelpott within a lively domestic setting. The work, painted in oil on panel, measures 38 cm by 31 cm and reflects the artistic milieu of Haarlem during the Dutch Golden Age, particularly the influence of Frans Hals on genre painting. It is housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it has been part of the holdings since being acquired through the estate of Jakob Gsell.
Scholarly attention to the piece emphasizes its role in understanding the evolution of Dutch genre scenes and the attribution challenges within the school of Hals.
Overview
Judith Leyster’s 1630 oil painting, titled Rommelpot player, portrays a convivial street scene in which a man, smiling beneath a dark hat, plays a friction drum while a boy and a girl watch attentively. The composition gathers figures of varied ages around the performer, creating a bustling tableau that captures a moment of everyday amusement in the Dutch Golden Age.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Judith Jans Leyster (also Leijster; baptised July 28, 1609 – February 10, 1660) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of genre works, portraits, and still lifes.
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