Artwork
Country Inn
Country Inn is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Richard Brakenburgh. It dates from 1691 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Brakenburgh renders the scene in the manner of Adriaen van Ostade, emphasizing the boisterous social life of the lower classes in a tavern setting.
The painting depicts the interior of a rural inn populated by peasants who are drinking, singing, and smoking. Brakenburgh renders the scene in the manner of Adriaen van Ostade, emphasizing the boisterous social life of the lower classes in a tavern setting. The composition focuses on conviviality and everyday life rather than elevated themes, positioning the work within the Dutch genre tradition of moralizing depictions of popular customs.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1681, this genre scene is rendered in oil paint on a wooden panel. The work measures 35 cm in height and 28.5 cm in width. It bears the signature 'R. Brakenb.' in the lower right corner.
Stylistically, the composition depicts a lively tavern interior populated by peasants who are drinking, singing, and smoking. The artistic approach closely follows the manner of Adriaen van Ostade, who was Brakenburgh's teacher, reflecting the influence of his master on the handling of the subject matter.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1681, this oil-on-panel work by Richard Brakenburgh bears the signature 'R. Brakenb.' in the lower right corner. The painting's documented history begins in 1752 within the collection of Adriaan Leonard van Heteren in The Hague. Upon Van Heteren's death, the work passed to his son, Adriaan Leonard van Heteren Gevers.
On June 8, 1809, the younger Van Heteren Gevers sold the piece to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam as part of a larger transaction involving 135 other paintings from the Kabinet Van Heteren Gevers.
The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It entered the museum's holdings on June 8, 1809, when it was acquired as part of the Kabinet Van Heteren Gevers, a group of 136 works sold by Adriaan Leonard van Heteren Gevers. The work had previously belonged to Gevers' father, Adriaan Leonard van Heteren of The Hague, who first possessed it in 1752 and bequeathed it to his son upon his death.
No specific exhibition history or inventory accession number is provided in the available records.
Overview
Country Inn is a 1691 oil painting by Dutch Golden Age artist Richard Brakenburgh, depicting a lively scene within a rural tavern. The work is now part of the Rijksmuseum's collection.
Context
As a Haarlem artist, Brakenburgh contributed to the 17th-century Dutch trend of depicting everyday life, moving the artistic focus from grand themes to ordinary, relatable moments.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Richard Brakenburgh or Brakenburg (22 May 1650, in Haarlem – 28 December 1702, in Haarlem), was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
