Zes boeren zittend rond een ton bij een herberg 1613 - 1680

This print, made in the Netherlands at an unknown date, depicts six peasants carousing outside a tavern. It offers a glimpse into the lives and social rituals of the rural working class. The scene is rich with visual codes reflecting Dutch peasant life. A village church visible in the background alongside the tavern suggests the limited scope of the villagers' world, both sacred and secular. The cluster of figures around a barrel and the presence of alcohol indicate a moment of communal festivity, perhaps a kermis, or fair, as suggested by the inscription. These kinds of prints circulated widely and were collected as a record of everyday life, but we must be careful of romanticizing or stereotyping such images. To fully understand the print, scholars consult historical records, account books, and other visual and textual sources. The social historian interprets such images with an eye toward how they represent and shape our understanding of the past.