Lot 1483 Dα

In the centre of this composition is a man holding a basket of swedes and scattering them before a group of people before him who gather them up eagerly. The banderole reading “T WIL AL RAAPEN” is a play on words: The Netherlandish “rapen” means “to gather”, whilst “rape” is the Dutch word for turnip.
This piece belongs to a series of works by van de Venne which all incorporate a similar banderole. Grisaille technique was highly popular during the artist's lifetime. The lack of additional colour demanded more precise brushwork in order for the artist to accurately depict shapes, structures and atmosphere.