Flemish 17th century Village gathering

Among the subjects painted by David Teniers II, that of village festivals is one that appears regularly throughout his career and which he depicted in a distinctive and individual manner. These compositions depict villagers and peasants amusing themselves outdoors at the entrance to inns or taverns. Teniers used these occasions for depicting moments of leisure, when the two social classes joined forces for dancing, eating, drinking and relaxing. Such scenes offered the artist the opportunity to depict large numbers of figures with a wide range of poses and gestures.