The Dissolute Household

Pieter Balten

Associated Names
Pieter Balten

Artist, Flemish, active 1540 - 1598

Hieronymus Cock

Publisher, Netherlandish, 1518 - 1570

This is a drawing of an interior scene with several figures engaged in various activities. The setting features a room populated with furniture and tools associated with cobbling or leatherwork, suggesting a workshop environment. There are children present causing a commotion, one riding a barrel-like object, another with a basket on their head, and a third interacting with an adult figure at the center who is crafting or carving a shoe. An distracted adult figure leans against a bench on the left. Tools and shoes hang from the walls. Detailed hatching and lines give depth and texture to the scene. The upper region features a smaller inset with an adult figure sitting by a window with a contemplative expression. The style suggests detailed early modern engravings, capturing both chaos and craftsmanship.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    engraving on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate: 20.5 × 28.9 cm (8 1/16 × 11 3/8 in.)
    sheet: 21.5 × 29.5 cm (8 7/16 × 11 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.1449

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Hollstein, no. 5


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg, Kupferstichkabinett (duplicate, Lugt 451a)

Associated Names

Bibliography

1949

  • Hollstein, F.W.H. et al. German engravings, etchings and woodcuts ca. 1400-1700. 8 vols. Amsterdam: Menno Hertzberger, 1954-1868. Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts, ca. 1450-1700. Vols. I-XV, XVIII, XIX. Amsterdam: Menno Hertzberge

Wikidata ID

Q64961202

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