The hog

Pigs and pig slaughter were commonly depicted scenes in Dutch prints, yet these themes are rendered with utmost originality in Rembrandt’s own work. The scene captures the moment where the hog lies with its legs tied in front of a house, the butcher is seen preparing an axe and a hook, and the family is looking forward in anticipation to the special event. It is clear from the artist's handling of the subject matter that initially he had intended the image only as a study of the animal and that only later did he add the human figures, endowing the scene with a narrative context.