Monday, May 7, 2018

Peasant Fashion in the Low Countries: Stage One

Some time ago--in response to having been recently working on a garment which was for high court--I decided I wanted to play with Low Countries clothing.  Specifically, peasant clothing.  Fashion A La Brueghel, as I immediately dubbed it.  Historical Dutch beer may have also been involved in this decision, because who doesn't design an outfit to match a beer they might be drinking?

That is where I ran into a snag.  While there are several excellent articles out there on /women's/ Low Countries clothing, the selection of articles covering the details for menswear was decidedly lacking.  So, naturally, I decided I needed to do a bunch of research and write my own articles on the topic.  I fairly quickly decided on the plan of going through the artwork of Brueghel and other Flemish artists of the period, and winnowing out any pieces which did not have usable details; so marking down any paintings which had the distinctive clothing of the correct class (i.e. Not Nobility), and which weren't purely allegorical and religious in tone since the clothing of those is often suspect.

The project then grew in ambition.  I needed to know not only what the garments were, but their details, and especially what colour combinations appear to have been worn.  Talking with my editor and sounding board, we decided that it would probably be better for me to publish the research at each various stage, rather than only once I reach the end of it.  We figured that it would help prevent information overload for you, give me a few extra blog posts to publish, and also allow you do use my notes as a springboard for your own research.

I quickly found a list of artists working in the area around that time, sadly on wikipedia, but it's better than nothing, and worked my way down the list alphabetically, and digging up albums of their works when I could find them.  All in all, most of them could be discarded, either because they specialized in portraits (of nobility), religious work (accuracy of clothing is....suspect), or because I just couldn't find their artwork.

Going through the pieces of artwork, I noted down the artist and their life years, as well as what topics their inclinations lead them to.  I counted out how many people are in each image by gender, whether there are non-clothing related resources such as pottery, and whether the artwork is suspect of having Allegorical clothing or other inaccuracies.  Fully allegorical ones were discarded, of course.


Market Scene, 1550
Pieter Aertsen- 1535 – 1575  : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Paintings_by_Pieter_Aertsen
Title, Year
Men
Women
Childrens
Pottery, Etc
Allegory/suspect
The Egg Dance. 1552
4
3
2
Y
N
The Pancake Bakery 1560
2
2

Y
N
Deeds of Christian Charity, 1575
11
5
4
Y
M
L'Adoration des bergers. 1555
2 part
1
1
N
Y
Jesus Christ and the woman taken in adultery
12
2
N
Y
N
Interior of a peasant dwelling 1560s
2
4
1
Y
N
Market Scene 1550s
22
12
1
Y
N
Still Life With meat and the Holy Family 1551
1


Y
N
The Vegetable Seller 1567
1
1
N
N
N
Bäuerlicher Innenraum 1556
4
3
M
Y
N
Market with Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery 1559
4?
4`
2f
Y
Y
Apostles Peter and John 1575
16
6
N
N
Y
Die Köchin 1559
N
1
N
Y
N
The Fat Kitchen. An Allegory 1570ish
3
3
1
Y
M
Portrait of Simon Marten Dircsz 1565
1
N
N
N
N
Market Scene 1569
3
2
N
Y
N
Keukenstuk 1560s
2
3
N
Y
N
Aanbidding der herders 1550+
1
1
N
N
Y
Vendor of Fowl 1560s
1
1
N
M
N
Christ cleansing the Temple
6
1
N
N
Y

The Wayfarer
Hieronymus Bosch. 1480-1516.  Much of his work is overly fantastical, and not of help, but some are detailed enough.
Name : date
Men
Women
Children
Other resources
Suspect
Allegory of Gluttony and Lust 1500-
1
N
N
M
Y
The Conjurer 1502
3
3
1
Y
M
Death and the Miser 1494+
1
N
N
M
Y
Head of a Halberdier  N/a
1
N
N
Y
N
Cutting the Stone 1494+
3
1
N
M
Y
The Wayfarer/Pedlar  1500
2
1
N
Y
N

The Peasant Dance 1568
Pieter Brueghel (the Elder); 1525-1569
Name : date
Men
Women
Children
Other resources
Suspect
Parable of the Sower 
1
N
N
N
N
12 Allegories (Darstellungen niederländischer Sprichwörter des 16) 1558
11
1
N
N
M
Netherlandish Proverbs  1559
35
5
M
M
M
The Fight Between Carnival and Lent 1559
47?
24?
Some
Y
M
Children’s Games 1560
Many
Many
Even more
Y
M
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus 1560
2
N
N
M
N
The Triumph of Death 1662
20 (Germans
 5
N
N
Y
The Yawning Man 1560s
1


N
N
The Procession to Calvary 1564
Lots
Lots
n/a
M
N
The Hunters in the Snow 1565
5
3
M
N
N
The Return of the Herd 1565
6 (military
N
N
N
N
The Hay Harvest/Haymaking 1565
8
7
N
M
N
The Harvesters 1565
10
5
N
Y
N
The Gloomy Day 1565
3
2
N
M
N
The Massacre of the Innocents  1560s?
17?
11
Y
N
M
Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap 1565
21
5
Y
Skates, games
N
The Wine of Saint Martin's Day 1566
23+
2
M
Y
N
The Census at Bethlehem  1566
5
5
M
N
N
The Land of Cockaigne  1567
   3


Y
N
The Sermon of Saint John the Baptist  1566
A few useful.  Rest are suspect
Same.
M
N
Y
The Wedding Dance 1566
21+
11
N
Y (beer jugs, bagpipes. Knife
N
Adoration of the Kings in the Snow 1567
Y.  But not detailed.
N
N
N
M
The Conversion of Paul 1567
6
N
N
Military
M
The Beggers 1568
5 (specifically beggers
1
N
Crutches
N
The Three Soldiers
3 Germans
N
N
Military/music
N
The Magpie on the Gallows 1568
7
1
N
N
N
The Parable of the Blind 1568        
6 (has seams)
N
N
N
N
The Misanthrope
2
N
N
N
M
The Peasant Wedding 1567
17
8
M
Pottery, music,
N
The Peasant Dance  1569
8
4
Y
Pottery
N
The Peasant and the Nest Robber 15682
2
N
N
M
N
The Drunkard Pushed into the Pigsty
3
2
N
Farm stuff
N

The Village Lawyer  1615
Pieter Bruegel the Younger (II) 1564-1638.  Much of his work was copying that of his father.  http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/bruegel_the_younger_pieter.html

Name : date
Men
Women
Children
Other resources
Suspect
Peasants being Attacked by Bandits 16thcent
2 + 2 german
1
N
M (pluderhose!)
M
Fair with a Theatrical Presentation 17th cen. Based on an Elder painting
70+
Many
Yes
Lots!
N
The Peasant Wedding
16+
12
Y
Y
N
Fighting Peasants
5
2
N
Y
M
Summer with Peasants at a Meal
6
2
M
Y
M
The Village Lawyer 1615?
9
1
N
M
N
Clothing styles is somewhat different in form from Brueghel, likely because of the dating, since both he and Beuckelaer were native to and painting in and around Antwerp. 
Name : date
Men
Women
Children
Other resources
Suspect
Allegory of Imprudence
1
4
1
Domestic
N
Brother 1562
5
5
N
Tavern
N
The Butcher’s Shop
3
2
N
Y
N
Christ Carrying the Cross 1562
Y
Y
Y
Military
Y
Christ in the house of Martha 1565
1
2
N
Y
N
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary 1560
N
2
N
Y
N
Christ Presented to the People 1562
4
6+
Y
Y
M
A Dutch Kitchen Scene
2
2
N
Y
N
The Fish Market 1568
1
3
N
Y
N
Fish Market 1568
2
7
N
Basket/Plate
N
Fish Market
1
4
N
Y
N
The Fish Market
1
2
N
Y
N
Fish Market with Ecce Homo
3
6
N
Y
N
The Flight into Egypt
8
4
N
Y
N
The Four Elements: Air 1570
1
5
N
Y
N
The four Elements: Earth 1569
1
3
N
Baskets/produce
N
The four Elements: Fire 1570
1
4
N
Y
N
The four elements: Water 1569
1
6
N
M
N
The Healing of the Lame at the pool of Bethesda  1562
Y
Y
M
M
Y
A Kitchen Interior
1 (Noble
3
1
Y
N
Kitchen Scene with Christ in the House of Martha and Mary 1565
2
3
N
Y
N
L'enfant prodigue
1 (not LC)
3
N
Y
N
Market couple 1560s
1
1
N
Y
N
Market Farmers 1561
N
2
N
Y
N
Market Peasants 1566
1
2
N
Yy
N
Market Scene
10+
4
N
Y
N
Market Scene 1566
2
2
N
Y
N
Market Scene 1564
1
2
N
Y
N
Market Scene 1563
1
2
N
Y
N
Market Scene 1565
1
2
N
Y
N
Market Scene, Ecce Homo, the Flagellation and the Carrying of the Cross
8
7
Y
Y
N
Market Scene, Ecce Homo, the Flagellation and the Carrying of the Cross 1561
6
11
Y
Y
N
Market Scene with a Poultry Seller
1
2
N
Y
N
Market with Ecce Homo  1561
16
4
M
Y
n
Miraculous Drought of Fishes 1563
20
4
N
Baskets
N
Poultry Market
1
2
N
Y
N
The Poultry Seller
1
2
N
Y
N
Poultry Seller  1570
1
1
N
Y
N
Poultry Sellers 1570
2
2
N
Y
n
The Sellers of Exotic Animals 1566
2
2
N
Baskets, animals, veggies
N
The Vegetable Market  1567
2
3
N
Y
N
The Well-Stocked Kitchen, with Jesus in the house of Martha and Mary in the Background 1566
2?
2
N
Y
N
Woman Selling Vegetables
1
1
N
Y
N
Village Feast
5ish
6
N
N
N

The Card Players
Lucas van Leyden (1494-1533).  https://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/list.php?m=a&s=tu&aid=6960  
He seems to be focusing on upper middle class.  Style is low countries, but not peasants.  Some interesting hats in there.
Name : date
Men
Women
Children
Other resources
Suspect
The Card Players  (Upper Middle Class|UMC)
5
4
N
Gaming.
N
The Card Players (1520) (UMC)
2
1
N
Gaming
N
Christ Healing the Blind (1531 (UMC
12
4+
Kinda
Y
Y (Religious)
The Dentist - 1523               
2
1
N
Y
N
The Fortune-Teller 1508 (UMC)
4
2
N
M
N
The Game of Chess 1520ish (UMC)
8
2
N
M
N
Joseph Explains Pharaoh’s Dream 1512 (UMC)
7+
N
N
Y
M
The Milkmaid 1510
1
1
N
Y
N

The Moneylender and His Wife
Quentin Matsys (1466-1530).  Tends to the religious and satirical, so proportions may be suspect.  Focused on the Burgher class when not religious. https://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/list.php?m=a&s=tu&aid=6200
Name : date
Men
Women
Children
Other resources
Suspect
Cannot Stephen Gardiner 1510 (UMC)
1
N
N
N
n
The Moneylender and his Wife (UMC)
1
1
N
Y
N

The Expulsion of Hagar
Jan Mostaert 1475-1555.  Mostly religious and portraits.  But there are a couple of undergarments shown in the ones noted down. 
Name : date
Men
Women
Children
Other resources
Suspect
The Expulsion of Hagar 1522 (Flemish lady
1
1
1
Y
Y
Ecce Homo (Useful for shirt)
2
N
N
N
Y
Saint Christopher in a river  landscape
2
1
N
N
Y

The Stag Hunt
Bernard van Orley 1488-1541.  Mostly a designer of stained glass and tapestries.   https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1758.html#works
Name : date
Men
Women
Children
Other resources
Suspect
The Hunts of Maximilian: The Stag Hunt (August) 1528.  (more Germanic)
2
N
N
Y (hunting
M



No comments:

Post a Comment