A Cottage

Wisps of grey smoke rise from a humble cottage, gently drifting to blend almost seamlessly into the cloudscape that fills half of this painting. The serene atmosphere suggests a still summer’s day, with sunlight illuminating a group of figures in the lower right corner. A conversation is taking place, the man resting on his spade, pointing beyond the edge of the painting. The woman listens patiently, her hands folded, a water jug hanging from her arm. Her pose is caught mid-step, subtly suggesting that she is on her way along the path. The sense of a captured moment is also conveyed in the alert stance of the dog as it concentrates on something beyond the frame, and in the loosely rendered figure emerging from the building’s doorway.  

Flemish artist David Teniers (1610-90) perfected the ability to create characterful scenes on a small scale using just a few brushstrokes and a simple colour palette. These renderings of everyday life were highly regarded by the genteel, urban classes and often featured bawdy or immoral tales. However, this example is an unusually restrained depiction of a rural idyll. Teniers populated his compositions with a cast of characters that often reappeared throughout his works – the peasant here with his rough beard and distinct profile, was a regular in many scenes. Yet, in this example, it is the cottage – perhaps a tavern – and its leaning sign that are given centre stage. Painted as a pair, the same building is depicted in ‘A Road Near a Cottage’ (DPG49) but viewed from a different approach.