Alexander Lauréus

• Alexander Lauréus : Talonpoikaistanssit Suomessa, 1816, 52x67,5, oil, canvas (A IV 2784, Ernst Kielenbeck) (26.3 kB)

A Peasant Dance in Finland (1816) was one of Lauréus's first attempts at describing peasant folk. The painting shows a rather romantic and idealized view of peasant life. Details or ethnological accuracy did not count for much, atmosphere was the all important thing. The women's clothing in the dance picture however reveals that this was no mere lower class hop: the daughter of the house has joined in the festivity in her pearls and lace bonnet. Although A Peasant Dance was greeted in Finland expressly as a depiction of the Finnish people, nothing in the interior of the cottage or the clothing of the figures points to the fact that the fete takes place in Finland. This peasant dance could just as well have happened in Sweden.

Talonpoikaistanssit Suomessa