Cutting the Feather 1670

Adriaen van Ostade’s “Cutting the Feather”, is made from oil paint on a wood panel. The artist shows a man carefully cutting a feather to make a quill. The painting’s muted tones and focused composition draw our attention to the work of the man, as well as the significance of the feather itself. In 17th-century Holland, literacy and therefore the tools to enable writing were becoming more widespread. This simple act connects us to the labor and material production of the time. Quill-making was a skilled craft, vital for scribes, artists, and scholars. The act of preparing the quill underscores a transition in society, where writing and knowledge were gradually extending beyond the elite. Van Ostade elevates this everyday activity, giving it a sense of dignity and worth. It's a reminder that even the simplest objects carry stories of skill, labor, and social change.