The Festival

Early printmakers never tired of depicting peasant shenanigans. In the sixteenth century peasants were seen by some as emblems of native German culture, while others, like Martin Luther, worried they would disrupt the social order. Across the two halves of The Festival, separated down the middle by a tree, peasants engage in the excesses that so fascinated the staid middle class-imbibing, arguing, fondling, dancing, and vomiting. Even so, the print's orderly composition suggests a more balanced view of the subject. The pride of Augsburg, Daniel Hopfer is credited with making the first etchings in the history of printmaking.