Boereninterieur met geslacht varken 1630 - 1673

Jacob Louys created this print, Boereninterieur met geslacht varken, sometime in the mid-17th century, offering us a glimpse into the daily life and labor of a farming family. In this period of the Dutch Golden Age, the visual arts were deeply intertwined with the social fabric, reflecting both the era’s prosperity and the realities of everyday existence. The print depicts a domestic scene centered around the butchering of a pig. Gendered labor is on display, with men engaged in the physical task of slaughter, while a woman is preparing the meat, perhaps for preservation. The image is visceral, yet it speaks to themes of sustenance, survival, and the cyclical nature of life on a farm. The presence of the dog suggests the close relationship between humans and animals in this setting. Louys captures not just a moment, but an entire way of life, inviting us to consider the labor, the community, and the dependence on nature that defined the experiences of those who lived off the land. The starkness of the scene evokes an understanding of the unromanticized nature of life, while grounding it in familiar human experiences.