Lot 2073 Dα

The bean festival was traditionally celebrated on 6th January, Epiphany, as a family festival. A bean king was chosen by lot or by a bean baked into a cake, who in turn distributed court offices, including that of jester (cf. Dominik Fugger: Das Königreich am Dreikönigstag. Eine historisch-empirische Ritualstudie, Paderborn u.a. 2007). The boisterous hustle and bustle of the celebration was depicted by numerous Netherlandish artists of the 17th century, among them Jacob Jordaens and Jan Steen. Several variants are known from the Haarlem painter Richard Brakenburgh, which are now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna (inv. no. GG 631) and the Princely Collections of Liechtenstein (inv. no. GE509), among others. The present painting by Brakenburgh, which is as rich in narrative as it is dramatic, shows the moment when the king raises his glass and all the guests have to shout: "The king drinks!"