Joost Cornelisz Droochsloot

Droochsloot, dean of the Utrecht Guild of St Luke, devoted himself in his later work in particular to the depiction of village scenes. In the present work, too, the lively village bustle takes place on a square in the foreground, which is adjoined by a wide street flanked by houses that leads into the depths behind. The rough, peasant figures sit in groups playing cards, which threatens to drift into a brawl. Typical of Droochsloot's village landscapes are also colours such as the earthy yellow-brown or the strong red.