Peasants in a Tavern
1633 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
About this artwork
This oil on panel painting depicts a group of three peasants gathered around a table inside a dimly lit tavern, with a fourth figure visible in the doorway. It is a characteristic example of the genre scenes depicting the lower classes that were popular in 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art.
Did you know?
David Teniers the Younger was remarkably prolific and became one of the most successful Flemish painters of his time, eventually serving as court painter to Archduke Leopold Wilhelm. His tavern scenes often utilized humorous or satirical undertones to humanize peasant life, moving away from purely negative depictions often found in earlier moralistic art. These works were highly collectible among European nobility, who found the rustic subjects both entertaining and distinct from their own opulent surroundings.
On your wall. Unlock the 4K download and keep this piece in your Vault — forever.
Know the artwork. Knowing its title and artist turns a beautiful image into a story worth sharing — with a museum label:
Peasants in a Tavern
David Teniers the Younger, 1633
