The Egg Dance
by AERTSEN, Pieter, Oil on panel, 84 x 172 cm
Interiors with merry companies or drunken brawls became very popular in the 17th century, and the work of Pieter Aertsen was seen as the first step on that path. This picture shows a merry company at an egg dance. The object was to keep dance while kicking the egg round in a circle without breaking it, then covering it with a bowl, again using only one feet.