Artwork
A Baker Blowing his Horn
A Baker Blowing his Horn is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Adriaen van Ostade. It dates from 1655 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created by Adriaen van Ostade in 1655, the work belongs to the genre art tradition, focusing on everyday scenes of common life.
The painting depicts a baker and a boy, with the central figure actively blowing an acoustic horn. Created by Adriaen van Ostade in 1655, the work belongs to the genre art tradition, focusing on everyday scenes of common life. The subject matter highlights the mundane activities and social interactions of a baker, likely capturing a moment of daily routine or communication within a 17th-century Dutch setting.
The inclusion of the horn suggests a specific action, possibly signaling the baker's presence or announcing goods, grounding the scene in the practical realities of the trade.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on wooden panel, reflecting the genre scene tradition in Dutch Baroque art. Van Ostade's brushwork renders fine detail in the baker's facial expression and the texture of his apron, while the acoustic horn is rendered with subtle tonal gradations. The composition balances intimate narrative focus with a muted palette, characteristic of Haarlem school naturalism.
The painting measures 27.5 cm in height and 22 cm in width, and its current support and handling preserve the original surface integrity observed in the Hermitage Museum collection.
History & Provenance
Adriaen van Ostade created the oil painting A Baker Blowing his Horn in 1655. The artist produced the work in Haarlem, executing it on a panel support. The painting measures 27.5 cm in height and 22 cm in width.
It currently resides in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. The work has been included in exhibitions featuring Dutch masters from the Hermitage's holdings. No specific details regarding the original commission or the intermediate ownership chain prior to its arrival at the Hermitage are provided in the available records.
A Baker Blowing his Horn, painted by Adriaen van Ostade in 1655, is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. The work is an oil-on-panel painting measuring 27.5 by 22 cm.
The painting has been exhibited in the show "Dutch masters from the Hermitage," as recorded in its exhibition history.
Overview
Adriaen van Ostade’s oil painting, dated 1655, presents a domestic genre scene that is now part of the collection at the State Hermitage Museum. The work captures a moment inside a modest interior, focusing on a baker engaged in a brief, ritualistic act.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
