The Sloth Or The Thinker? By David Ryckaert III, Flanders 17th Century

The sloth or the thinker? , oil on wood, dimensions 37 cm x 50 cm, with its carved wooden frame: 51 cm x 64 cm, by David Rickaert III, Flanders mid-17th century. As is often the case in Flemish painting, the painter wants to send us a message. Is this man who lives alone in this poorly kept house a lazy person who refuses to use his broom which appears in the foreground or a man lost in his thoughts who does not give importance to material goods? The drawing of an owl (symbol of wisdom and philosophy), hanging on the wall on the right, can let us imagine it. A painting put on sale at the Dorotheum on 04/21/2010 under the title peasant interior, can be compared to the unusual still life on the left of our painting.