Bean king

The work of the outstanding Flemish painter Jacob Jordaens is associated with the realistic traditions of the national art school. A brilliant connoisseur of folk customs and folklore, Jordaens captured in the film "The Bean King" the holiday of the Three Magi or the Three Kings, which was annually celebrated in Flanders on January 6. According to the old Dutch tradition, on this day a cake was served on the table, in which a bean was baked. Whoever found it in his piece of cake was proclaimed the "bean king". Bob symbolized the guiding star that led the Magi to Bethlehem to worship the infant Christ. According to the rules of the holiday, the "bean king" chose a "queen" for himself and appointed a "retinue". The participants of the feast were obliged to obey the “royal couple” implicitly, and when the “bean king” raised another glass of wine - loudly exclaim in chorus: “The king drinks!”. Depicting the culmination of the holiday, Jordaans beautifully conveyed the atmosphere of the elemental looseness of the feelings of his heroes, endowed each of them with expressive facial expressions and gestures. The everyday scene has acquired a monumental character and powerful life-affirming pathos. The dynamics of the composition, the underlined volume of the forms, the warm golden brown color and the wide painting style characterize Jordaens as a follower of Rubens and one of the leading masters of the Flemish Baroque.