Drie boeren spelen een kaartspel - Salomon Savery

A satirical seventeenth-century Dutch etching depicting three peasants playing cards, part of the 'Leven der Boeren' series.

This etching by Salomon Savery, titled Drie boeren spelen een kaartspel, captures a scene of rural life common in seventeenth-century Dutch art. The composition depicts three figures engaged in a card game, a subject frequently explored by artists of the period to comment on the perceived vices of the peasantry. The work is part of a series titled 'Leven der Boeren' (Life of the Peasants), with the original design attributed to Pieter Quast.

Savery employs a direct, linear style characteristic of the etching medium. The figures are rendered with expressive, somewhat caricatured features, reflecting the satirical tone often present in depictions of lower-class leisure activities. The central figure smokes a pipe, while the others focus intently on their cards. Above the scene, a bat-like creature serves as a symbolic header, a common motif in satirical prints of the era to suggest moral folly or the presence of the devil in such pastimes. The background is composed of horizontal hatching, which provides a stark contrast to the figures and creates a sense of shallow space.

As a printmaker, Savery was active in Amsterdam and worked closely with publishers such as Clement de Jonghe, whose name appears at the bottom of the plate. The print serves as a historical document of the social attitudes held by the urban middle and upper classes toward rural populations. The figures are identified by name in the upper portion of the print, adding a layer of specificity to the scene. This work is a fine example of the graphic output of the Dutch Golden Age, where the production of prints allowed for the dissemination of moralising and humorous narratives to a wider audience.