Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Festival

Daniel Hopfer

Date

after 1520

Medium

Etching on iron, two sheets

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Early printmakers never tired of depicting peasant shenanigans. In the sixteenth century peasants were seen by some as emblems of native German culture, while others, like Martin Luther, worried they would disrupt the social order. Across the two halves of The Festival, separated down the middle by a tree, peasants engage in the excesses that so fascinated the staid middle class-imbibing, arguing, fondling, dancing, and vomiting. Even so, the print's orderly composition suggests a more balanced view of the subject. The pride of Augsburg, Daniel Hopfer is credited with making the first etchings in the history of printmaking. Germany, Europe

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