During the early decades of the 17th century, a new form of genre painting evolved. The ‘Merry Company‘, as this genre was named, is an art term referring to a small assembly of individuals feasting, drinking, flirting, gambling, dancing, making music, and generally having a good time. The figures depicted can vary from affluent individuals to guards, peasants, and patrons of a brothel. A Gallant Company is a specific form of Merry Company depicting the young and wealthy at leisure. The figures lounge idly, drink, dance, feast, flirt, or play a musical instrument. Both a Merry Company and a Gallant Company can take place outdoors or inside a finely decorated bourgeois home.

David Vinckboons (1576-before 1633), a Flemish painter who moved to The Dutch Republic after the Spanish Occupation of Antwerp in 1585, introduced the Gallant Company to The Northern Netherlands. One of the earliest examples is La Fête Champêtre, where youthful figures drink, dine, court, make music, and dance in an idyllic park that boasts a magnificent castle, a garden, and an exquisite fountain. A striking dancing couple, obviously trained by a dance master, instantly captures the viewer’s attention. Their polished refinement, gracious deportment, upright stance, poised torso, and subtle leg motions reveal that Vinckboons was well acquainted with the contemporary dance style. The man’s slightly elevated leg and gentle rotation of the torso (épaulement) are positions described and illustrated in 17th-century dance manuals. However graciously he and his opulently dressed partner dance, they cannot distract the viewer from the impropriety that envelops them. Vinckboons subtly fuses opulence and decadence; the stuffed peacock perched on the pie symbolises pride, while the scattered cards and gnawed bones in the foreground respectively denounce gambling and serve as a reminder of life’s fleeting nature. Additionally, it is important to note that dancing in various circles was regarded as immoral as gambling and consuming alcohol.

Three young Haarlem-based artists—Esaias van de Velde (1587-1630), Willem Buytewech (1591/2-1624), and Dirck Hals (1591-1656), Frans Hals’s younger brother—embraced the gallant company theme. Dirck Hals, particularly, specialised in merry company scenes and ballroom scenes depicting dance in many of his works. He painted small-scale works presenting well-bred middle-class figures, in fashionable dress, moving elegantly in both indoor and outdoor festivities.

In the outdoor scene Garden Party with a Company Dancing and Making Music, Hals stages an idyllic setting featuring polite society, dressed in fine apparel, enjoying music played on the cello, violin and flute. An impressive dancing couple is poised at the foot of a diagonal line of party-goers. These elegant dancers, dressed in vibrant reds and yellows, perform with precision, and are mindful of every movement and each gesture they make. The woman is sophisticated and demure. The voluminous skirt, moreover, enhances her gravitas. Her dance technique is defined by a refined posture along with gentle torso and head motions, supplemented by a variety of stepping, swaying, and turning movements. The long skirt renders intricate footwork unnecessary. The man’s movements are similarly refined; however, he enjoys greater leg freedom; he embodies jumps, hops, and various bouncy steps within his dance skills.

I would like to draw your attention to the figure standing beside the cellist. The gentleman’s focus is directed toward the dancers, and similar to them, his hat is embellished with ostrich feathers, which at the time, was a symbol of wealth. Interesting, from the dance perspective, is his characteristic posture: a distinctive pose with one leg extended forward. Traditionally, a peasant dancer is depicted with knees bent, slumped posture, executing coarse movements. But how to depict a man of standing? Henry VIII chose a bold stance with both feet planted firmly on the floor. Louis XIV, the Sun King, favoured a contrived stance in which one leg was extended diagonally forward.

Well before Rigaud’s famous portrait, artists of The Northern and Southern Netherlands had adopted the ‘cultivated’ pose. In Hendrick Gerritsen Pot’s portrait, King Charles I extends his leg forward and wittingly points his foot highlighting the finely detailed rosette that adorns his shoe. This stylish carriage was first illustrated in early dance manuals instructing the elite in the art of grace and decorum. Artists depicted the male figure, whether dancing or stationary, pointing his foot diagonally to the front while rotating the other leg outwards. The technique of rotating the legs outward, in ballet jargon en dehors or turnout, heightens the illusion of elegance. The gentleman’s distinct stance originated from court dancing and is remarkably similar to the position croisé devant, a fundamental element of ballet technique.

A fashionable group of young adults making merry is depicted in Elegant company playing music and dancing in an interior. The wooden flooring, the staircase, the fireplace mantel, and the paintings on the wall clearly indicate that this is the home of an affluent individual. Likewise, the selection of musical instruments—flute, violin, and lute—further highlights the wealth of this merry company, as does the vocalist seated in the centre of the painting. Hals was not the artist to comment on or criticise social behaviour, yet whether it was fashion or mockery, he could not resist adorning the men’s hats with large feathers.

The dancers command the centre stage, posing handsomely in front of a semicircle of finely attired guests. Observe how the dancing lady’s luminous white collar accentuates her features. Adhering to tradition, she and her voguish partner stand tall and dance in accordance with 17th-century etiquette. The male dancer is imposing. He appears quite debonair as he sweeps his feather-laden chapeau towards his partner. His refined leg placement together with a gentle backward tilt imparts an aura of sophistication. On the right side of the canvas, there is also a figure posing in a ‘cultivated’ stance. While it may not convey any intentional message, I am intrigued by the painting directly above the flamboyant figure, in which a scholarly man reads a book and glances down at the merry company.

The genre ‘Merry Company’ continued to grow in popularity. From around 1630 a new generation of artists, Hendrik Gerritsz. Pot (1587–1657), Anthonie Palamedesz. (1601–1673), Pieter Codde (1599–1678), Jacob Duck (1600–1667), Willem Duyster (1599–1635), Jan Olis (c.1610–1676) and Laurence Neter (1600/04–after 1649), continued to develop this specific genre of art. Many of the paintings depicted music and musicians. Dance and dancers appeared less frequently but, the dance images that do exist are remarkable examples of 17th-century art.

The title Merry Company* seems unusual for a company of such serious-minded people. No one is smiling: nobody seems especially cheerful, and even the dog looks downcast. With a few exceptions, all of these elegantly dressed individuals gaze directly at the viewer. Pieter Codde, an artist from Amsterdam, splits the artwork diagonally; on the left side, a couple is flirting alongside a lute and a cello, and another couple is dancing. Their dance is entirely devoid of spontaneity, apart from the man’s lifted leg and his exaggerated wrist motion. On the right side, in addition to a group of young men and women, there exists a closely bonded gathering of individuals whose dark clothing reflects their Calvinist lifestyle. You might ask if this painting is a family portrait or if Codde is using austerity, detachment, and stillness to convey a moral message.

Anthonie Palamedesz., a Delft-based artist, is known for his portrayals of guard rooms, portraiture, and his elegant genre paintings. The artwork above immerses us in a beautiful space, decorated with opulent brocade or velvet drapes gracefully hanging and a stunning chandelier. The trio of musicians, positioned in the curtain’s opening, play instruments suitable for this elegant gathering. In his Elegant Company, Palamedesz. positions the dancing pair generously across a wide expanse of a panelled floor. As one would anticipate from this refined society, their movement and deportment are dignified.

The painting shown below, once credited to Anthonie Palamedesz., has recently been attributed to the lesser-known artist Jan Olis. Olis resided in various towns, including Dordrecht and Rotterdam.He held several positions, including those of a wine merchant, a mayor, a tax collector, and an artist. His genre pieces and portraits were highly sought after.

Is it the natural hues, the shadows on the lofty walls, the lengthy wooden beams on the ceiling, the sense of spaciousness, or the musician’s welcoming gaze that makes Dining and Dancing Company so captivating? The amiable musician playing the viola da gamba seems to be more focused on the observer than on accompanying the dancing pair. That eloquent couple faces opposite directions, standing shoulder to shoulder in what appears to be an unhurried, reserved dance. The man, in line with the trends of the era, actively pivots his supporting foot to the side, demonstrating that he and his contemporaries are well-trained in dance and etiquette. There is an abundance of luxury: intricate rosettes on the man’s shoes, lavish fabrics embellished with tassels, and wide-brimmed hats adorned with feathers, along with the presence of a servant and two stylish musicians. The still life that balances the composition completes the opulence. Imagine the weight of the exquisitely crafted fabric that drapes over the table. However, the large, carved ‘lion’s paw’ is, in my opinion, the most excessive expression of affluence.

Jacob Duck, a lesser-known artist, worked primarily in Utrecht. He did, however, reside in Haarlem from 1636 until 1646, the town where the merry company originated. He painted everyday figures and guardroom scenes, but, to my knowledge, only two dance images: Elegant company singing, dancing and smoking and El Cotillón also titled Men playing music in an interior with dancing company*. The rectangular painting is divided into two sections. On the left a group of musicians is seated around a table, while on the right three couples dance in a line formation. The title cotillion, if indeed provided by the artist, is perplexing. The cotillion is a bright 18th-century social dance originally performed by four couples in a square formation. If the women’s long, heavy skirts are any indication, the three couples Duck portrays are far from lively.

In order to conclude our short tour of the Merry Company, I must mention the Polish artist Laurence de Neter. He was trained in Poland by the Flemish artist Isaack van de Blocke before moving to Amsterdam, where he resided from 1635 to 1638. It is probable that Neter was also working in Middleburg. He produced portraits, religious artwork, and was best known for his genre pieces.

Neter possessed a keen eye for detail. The intricate lace collars, the delicate slashed sleeves, the gold-coloured accessories, the table carpet’s blue and gold designs, and the floral motifs on the brocade wallpaper form the setting for an amorous gathering. The lute player completes the picture. Two dancers, full-length figures, stand apart from the flirtatious couples. Their manner is restrained, no doubt partially due to the limited dancing space. All the characters depicted are undoubtedly sophisticated. Nonetheless, I have yet to decide if Neter has depicted a social event or an elegant locale with a questionable reputation.

Dance, although not as frequently depicted in the Merry Company or the Gallant Company as musicians, lovers, fighting men, drunken revellers, guards, and the idle, still played a significant role in Dutch genre art. The aforementioned artworks offer a captivating insight into the lifestyle and dance of the affluent in the 17th century.

*_{A short remark regarding titles.}

_{Old Masters rarely allotted a definite title for their paintings. The titles currently in use have often been assigned by art dealers or patrons. Titles of early works are frequently descriptive. Consider, for instance, the title Elegant company dancing and playing music in an interior, which, in actual fact, describes the activity occurring on the canvas. Another example is the title Merry Company. In this post, Merry Company refers to a painting showcasing a collection of gloomy characters. In this instance, the title does not give a description but instead alludes to a specific genre. Titles of paintings often undergo modifications. A painting may be known by various titles depending on the selection of the museum, gallery, or owner.}