Egmond aan Zee – after Valentijn Bing and Jan Braet von Überfeldt, 1857-1859

EGMOND AAN ZEE VILLAGE FAIR

“De Kermis te Egmond aan Zee. / La kermesse d’Egmond sur mer.” Lithograph made by R. de Vries jr. after a drawing by Valentijn Bing and Jan Braet von Überfeldt. Published by Frans Buffa en Zonen in 1857-1859 as part of “Nederlandsche Zeden en Gebruiken”. With exceptional fine original colouring. Afm. (border line): 26,3 x 37,5 cm.

We see that the whole of Egmond aan Zee had turned out into the main street where the annual fair was held. A fisherman had transformed his fish cart into a wagon with seats for the occasion. At the inn by the beach, he loaded his cart to overflowing with men, women, and children. Some were dressed in exotic garments brought back by sailors returning from voyages to the East or West Indies, which earned them much admiration from the cheering crowd.

The fairgoers had clearly been drinking and were in a noisy and excited mood. The fisherman drove them at full gallop to Egmond aan den Hoef, the nearby village where a fair was also being celebrated. There they danced in the inn, enjoyed drinks and cakes, and returned in an even more intoxicated state. Their wild joy continued deep into the night.

It seems as though the scene was meant to show the costumes worn by the people of North Holland, since the print originally appeared in a picture book of Dutch traditional dress. Yet a moralizing lesson lies behind it. “The consequences of the excesses of this day are often sorrowful for many, yet people say: ‘It happened on Whit Tuesday,’ which is regarded as a very excusable circumstance.”

Literature: Frederik Muller “Nederlandsche historieplaten” (1863-1882), no. 7271 (7)

Price: SOLD