Risky society 1550

Jan van Hemessen painted this oil on panel, Risky Society, to highlight a moral point. Look at how he’s used the materiality of his medium to make the image more compelling. Oil paint allowed Hemessen to build up layers of glazes, creating a sense of depth and realism, and the smooth surface of the wood panel contributes to the painting’s jewel-like quality. It would have been a costly medium in its day, a marker of artistic prestige. The rich colors and precise details – like the texture of the figures' clothing and the glint of the pewter jug – all contribute to the sense of realism and immediacy. This allows Hemessen to comment on the society that he lived in, suggesting the moral hazards of gambling, drinking, and carousing. By using the conventions of fine art painting, with its emphasis on skill, vision, and value, Hemessen elevates the everyday into the realm of moral commentary. It encourages viewers to consider the wider social context, and question the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.