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拍品專文
In 1559 Phillip II of Spain decreed that annual fairs could be held for one day only, presumably to prevent excessive drinking and carousing, a restrictive measure which must have met with much dissent amongst the Flemish population. Possibly in response to - and in protest against! - this law, Bruegel made two drawings depicting popular festivities, one of the kermis of Saint George's Day (the drawing now lost), and one of the kermis at the Flemish riverside village of Hoboken, near Antwerp (now at The Courtald Institute, London, Inv. 45).
The drawings were models for two prints in reverse. The first was engraved by the Doetecum brothers (see New Hollstein 42) and published by Hieronymus Cock in Antwerp, with whom Bruegel had a long and prolific cooperation. The other, the present Kermis at Hoboken, was engraved by Frans Hogenberg and published by the fellow Antwerpian Bartholomeus de Mompere.
The name of the town is suggested by the artist on the banner flying on the inn at right. In that same year of 1559, the village of Hoboken and surrounding lands had been sold by William of Orange to Melchior and Balthazar Schetz, who had become the new local lords.
Bruegel depicts a typical Flemish kermis, a bustling genre scene with peasants engaged a variety of amusements and festivities. The tablet in the lower margin reads: 'The peasants rejoice at such festivals in dancing, jumping and quaffing as beasts. They must observe church festivals even if they fast and die of cold'. The co-existence of secular and sacred customs is clearly noticeable in this animated tableau of activities: an archery competition, a game of boules, and much drinking and dancing is taking place alongside a religious procession and preaching, with the village square further populated with chickens, geese and pigs. The herd of pigs on the square at upper right, visible in the present first state impression and on the model drawing, was removed in the second state. Presumably, the animals were considered too close to the pious elements of the kermis and therefore considered intolerable in this place.
The census in New Hollstein only records eight impressions of the first state in public collections. One can add the impression acquired by the Courtald Institute in 2017 from Hill-Stone Inc., Darmouth, Massachussets (inv. G.2017.XX.4).
Additionally, we have only been able to trace one first-state impression to be offered sold at auction within the last thirty years (Christie’s, New York, 14 May 1991, lot 42, $ 16,500). The record price for this subject was set at Christie’s, London, 28 June 1990 (lot 63, £ 38,500). At the time, impressions with Mompere's address were considered first state (of four), but this was in fact a second-state impression, after the pigs in the background had been burnished out.
The drawings were models for two prints in reverse. The first was engraved by the Doetecum brothers (see New Hollstein 42) and published by Hieronymus Cock in Antwerp, with whom Bruegel had a long and prolific cooperation. The other, the present Kermis at Hoboken, was engraved by Frans Hogenberg and published by the fellow Antwerpian Bartholomeus de Mompere.
The name of the town is suggested by the artist on the banner flying on the inn at right. In that same year of 1559, the village of Hoboken and surrounding lands had been sold by William of Orange to Melchior and Balthazar Schetz, who had become the new local lords.
Bruegel depicts a typical Flemish kermis, a bustling genre scene with peasants engaged a variety of amusements and festivities. The tablet in the lower margin reads: 'The peasants rejoice at such festivals in dancing, jumping and quaffing as beasts. They must observe church festivals even if they fast and die of cold'. The co-existence of secular and sacred customs is clearly noticeable in this animated tableau of activities: an archery competition, a game of boules, and much drinking and dancing is taking place alongside a religious procession and preaching, with the village square further populated with chickens, geese and pigs. The herd of pigs on the square at upper right, visible in the present first state impression and on the model drawing, was removed in the second state. Presumably, the animals were considered too close to the pious elements of the kermis and therefore considered intolerable in this place.
The census in New Hollstein only records eight impressions of the first state in public collections. One can add the impression acquired by the Courtald Institute in 2017 from Hill-Stone Inc., Darmouth, Massachussets (inv. G.2017.XX.4).
Additionally, we have only been able to trace one first-state impression to be offered sold at auction within the last thirty years (Christie’s, New York, 14 May 1991, lot 42, $ 16,500). The record price for this subject was set at Christie’s, London, 28 June 1990 (lot 63, £ 38,500). At the time, impressions with Mompere's address were considered first state (of four), but this was in fact a second-state impression, after the pigs in the background had been burnished out.