Public domain
The Outdoor Party
From the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The 17th-century public would have delighted in this amusing spectacle. At the same time, viewers would have been aware of its hidden message: there is more to life on earth than eating, drinking and merrymaking. A telling detail is the chained monkey: it stands for sinful man, who allows himself to be fettered by his base instincts.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own descriptionCredit lineDe buitenpartij. 1627. Dirck Hals. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Public domain.
