Verburgh, Rutger Rotterdam 1678 - um 1746 60 x 81,5 cm Village kermess with goose pulling. Oil/canvas/cardboard/canvas. From a Rhenish private collection, acquired in the 1980s on the Munich Art Fair. With an expert report by Dr. Walther Bernt, Munich 1978. Exuberant dancing, cheerful boozing and contests such as the widespread “goose-pulling” were integral parts of a Flemish kermis and were a popular theme in Dutch painting from the time of Pieter Brueghel the Elder onwards. As early as the 16th and 17th centuries, the activities and behaviour of rural people differed significantly from those in towns. The latter enjoyed detailed images with clearly defined areas of light and shade, in which apparently carefree peasants were depicted living close to nature.