Dating to the latter part of Abraham Bloemaert’s career, when his style turned towards the genre painting that was gaining popularity in Utrecht, the sole focus of Boy with Rumbling Pot (1625-30) is a young carnival reveler.
The “rumbling pot” that he holds was an instrument made of a clay pot covered with a pig’s bladder and pierces with a wet reed, said to have produced an unpleasant sawing sound. It is often associated with Shrove Tuesday celebrations when boys would go door to door with their rumbling pots and singing in exchange for money and treats.
Abraham Bloemaert’s Boy with rumbling pot can be found in the Kremer Collection in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.