Jacob Jordaens. ‘Satyr at the Peasant’s House’ (Jacob Jordaens. Der Satyr beim Bauern)

Jacob Jordaens is a Flemish artist. He spent almost all his lifetime in Amsterdam. He was Rubens’ apprentice and was on friendly terms with him. Together with Rubens he is thought an outstanding representative of Flemish Baroque. In all his living days, he produced 700 paintings. The topics of his artworks are varied enough.
In this picture the characters are engaged in unhurried friendly conversation. All members of the family including their pets have drawn together round the table. Everyone is attentively listening to the story of an aged Satyr. On the table there is only a dish of pottage. All household items are painted with painstaking detail. The heavy rough shapes of the peasants make you well disposed. The Satyr himself has a close look at the people and is astonished at their inconsistency very much. At first the peasant blows on the pottage in order to cool it, then he blows on his fingers in order to warm them. The painter borrowed this motif for his picture from Aesop's Fables.