Workshop of Jan Thomas van Kessel (Antwerp, 1677-1741), Tavern Scene with Smokers

Workshop of Jan Thomas van Kessel (Antwerp, 1677-1741) Tavern Scene with Smokers Oil on panel, 30 x 20 cm With frame, 36 x 26 cm The Flemish painter Jan Thomas van Kessel, born in Antwerp in 1677, was primarily known for his genre scenes, rural festivals, and the depiction of boisterous tavern atmospheres, where drunken peasants often clash or joyfully and unrestrainedly indulge in earthly pleasures. Born into a family of artists, the Van Kessels, related through marriage to the renowned Brueghels, he learned the rudiments of painting from his father, Thomas. His training then continued under the still-life painter Ykens; it was as his pupil that Van Kessel was registered in the Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp in 1692. Following the death of his esteemed master Ykens, Van Kessel continued his work independently, joining his cousin Ferdinand, who worked on commission for the powerful William III of Orange, to establish his flourishing workshop, where many prominent figures of the next generation were trained. Although the painter's apprenticeship took place with Ykens, it was Teniers who decisively influenced his artistic activity. From the famous Flemish painter, both the subjects and the extreme meticulousness that characterizes the depiction of genre scenes are adopted. Genre painting has always been considered a lesser genre compared to history and sacred painting. However, scenes of daily life are invaluable historical documents that allow us to fully understand the habits of people from all social classes in a specific historical period. Among the most frequently depicted genre scenes in 17th-century Flemish painting are those set in taverns, places of meeting and recreation for the merchant bourgeoisie as well as the popular classes. It was usually the bourgeoisie who commissioned these types of paintings, often characterized by their small format. These are images that tell of the daily life of taverns in their most genuine aspect. In this small painting, created within van Kessel's busy workshop, three patrons of an inn sit at a table smoking pipes: the tavern atmosphere is smoky; this represents a departure from the style of his master Teniers; the canonical meticulousness characteristic of the Flemish tradition is replaced by a loose and rapid brushstroke, perfectly capable of capturing the atmosphere of the environment. Another detail of the painting that differs from Teniers' work is the rendering of the barrels, which have a more squat and squared shape.