Peasants in front of a Fireplace by Candlelight

Similarly to that of Adriaen Brouwer (1605/06–1638), Teniers’ peasant genre offers an important creative field. His Peasants in front of a Fireplace by Candlelight is brought alive by the masterly treatment of the various artificial light sources – the smoking candle on the chimneypiece and the cheering fire both shed light on the sombre room.
Like the Bagpiper (Residenzgalerie Salzburg, Inv.-no. 563) , this picture belongs to the “five senses” representations so popular in Flemish and Dutch painting. The sense of taste is shown in the clay tobacco pipes, which enabled even the poorer classes to enjoy the inexpensive pleasure of smoking.

DUCKE Astrid: Teniers David II. the Younger, Peasants in front of a Fireplaceby Candlelight, in: DUCKE Astrid, HABERSATTER Thomas, OEHRING Erika: Masterworks. Residenzgalerie Salzburg. Salzburg 2015, p. 86