The Pancake Bakery
by AERTSEN, Pieter, Oil on panel, 87 x 169 cm
In the 16th century pancakes and waffles were typical Shrovetide fare. The figures may be preparing for the coming festivities, but they do not look very happy. The painting may have hung in the dining room of a wealthy citizen in Antwerp or Amsterdam. The peasants’ frugal meal would have stood in stark contrast to the lavish dinners that took place there.