Observe how things are arranged. The people on the left are gathered in a close group. The dancers on the right are a little farther apart. All of them together are arranged as if they were inside an imaginary triangle. A triangle is a stable shape, wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. Arranging the group in this way gives the people a sense of safety and togetherness.
Seen another way, the group is arranged in an inward-looking semi-circle. Those closest to us are on the left and right, and those farthest from us are in the middle. When we stand looking at the drawing, we complete the circle and become part of the group!
This arrangement also keeps our attention on the middle of the drawing. The men on the far left and right face inwards. It’s human nature to look where other people are looking. So these two figures make sure we always come back to focus on the middle of the picture. The curved shapes of their bodies, not to mention the shadow on the left, act like a frame around the centre.
Certain details and gestures are intended to hold our attention on the group.
A person on the left points a finger toward the dancers.
The fiddle itself points at the dancers. Our eye follows the fiddle and the fiddler’s gaze to the dancer on the right. In turn, the dancer’s gaze and swinging arm bring us back to the middle of the group.
Even the fallen bench’s legs point toward the dancers!
Adriaen van Ostade, An Interior with a Fiddler and Peasants Dancing, c. 1645, pen and brown ink with graphite, brown and grey wash, and black chalk on ivory laid paper, 21.6 × 28.3 cm. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Purchased 2009. Photo: NGC