Barn Interior

Painting

-

Calvin University Center Art Gallery

The painting depicts a dimly lit interior of a butcher's shop, where a large, skinned animal carcass hangs prominently on the left side. In the center, a figure sits at a table, cutting meat with focused attention, surrounded by various kitchen tools and wooden barrels scattered on the floor.

The painting depicts a dimly lit interior of a butcher's shop, where a large, skinned animal carcass hangs prominently on the left side. In the center, a figure sits at a table, cutting meat with focused attention, surrounded by various kitchen tools and wooden barrels scattered on the floor.

Name/Title

Barn Interior

Entry/Object ID

2007.1.9

Description

Young boy in dark room surrounded by an assortment of barrels and hanging meats.

Type of Painting

Panel

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil

Category

Vault, Historical, Interior Space, People, Objects
Building, Architecture

Made/Created

Artist

Egbert Lievens van der Poel

Date made

circa 1646

Dimensions

Dimension Description

image size

Height

12-1/2 in

Width

19-1/4 in

Dimension Description

frame size

Height

16-1/2 in

Width

23-1/2 in

Exhibitions

Permanent Collection exhibition: October 21, 2010 – July 2012
Permanent Collection exhibition: February 12 - March 11, 2019 Center Art Gallery
Spaan and PC - February 15 - April 8, 2022

General Notes

Note Type

Wall Label

Note

An Art History Mystery In 2007. neurologist and 1955 alumnus Cornelis "Kees" Van Nuis, donated sixteen paintings to the permanent collection at Calvin College. Among them was "Barn Interior," a poastoral scene of a woman and two children inside a barn by artist Egbert van der Poel. The following summer, the piece was sent to Barry Bauman in Chicago for conservation and cleaning. When Bauman cleaned "Barn Interior," the result was not only brightening; it was revelatory. The conservator noiticed that a ladder on the painting's left side had ben heavily painted over and that the paint was flaking. And when he had cleaned a little more, Bauman discovered a flayed pig--a butchered and stretched pig--hanging upside down from the ladder. This discovery gave the painting a new focus and clarified the composition. In addition, the discovery of a signature and date authenticated the work and helped complete a remarkable story.