Independent composition of his own design, that depicts a village festival in all its raucous splendor. The maypole itself is just left of center, and round it circle the dancing villagers, their movements echoed and reversed by a second group placed directly in the foreground. Flanking the dancers are other kinds of celebrants. Those at the left are somewhat worse for wear: a man collapsing onto his partner's lap and two others relieving themselves, one directly in our line of vision. At the right is a larger group gathered around a cask, as pitchers of drink are handed around and a bagpiper entertains the company. Behind all this actvity stretches the village with scenes of daily life, fights and dancing alternate with almsgiving and strolling families. This dance around the maypole is unique in showing the couple at the far right (the woman with the white headdress and the man with the red cap) set in front of a bush rather than squashed into a tent. It is also one of the tallest versions, so that the top of the maypole is fully visible, and there is a band of sky above the trees at the left and right. Object Type: painting. Date: 1627. Dimensions: height: 21.5 in (54.6 cm); width: 29.8 in (75.7 cm). Medium: oil on panel. ST. GEORGE'S KERMIS WITH THE DANCE AROUND THE MAYPOLE
Loading...
