The King Drinks c. 17th century

Curator: Welcome! We're looking at "The King Drinks," a pencil drawing from the 17th century attributed to David Teniers the Younger. Editor: Wow, that's a party. Looks like it could get pretty messy. I feel the buzz even in pencil strokes—it is so free and alive. Curator: It does have that raw, sketch-like energy, doesn't it? These kinds of genre scenes depicting everyday life were incredibly popular then, weren't they? Look closely: it feels like it critiques the frivolity and excess, capturing the chaos and the communal joy of such gatherings. Editor: Yeah, it does. Is this what we really looked like, back in the 1600s? A drinking game happening—maybe this King rules for the moment. The guy holding what I'd imagine is wine, perched on a stool. There's something wonderfully relatable in how he’s sloshed in joy with everyone else at the table, even after so long! Curator: Precisely. And Teniers was a keen observer of the social rituals, even using the motif of drunkeness to emphasize social themes such as morality, the role of festive misrule, the contrast between excess and frugality, the dynamics of wealth and poverty. You see this play out here! Also the question to be asked: how much of that observation was shaped and in return, also shaped popular moral beliefs of that time? Editor: Well put. But those faces—some singing, some lost in the haze… Did he use his friends as models? Or were people really that... festive back then? The hats! Oh, those crazy hats! Curator: Hard to say about models specifically, but certainly influenced by his environment. You notice that while on its face the image looks loose, he paid such specific attention to light, form, facial expression—all of it helps build to its dynamism and character! I find that fascinating. Editor: So true! And this gives it timeless quality too. Well, I have a hankering for some cheer myself after this analysis. It almost feels like joining in. Curator: Indeed! This drawing transports us to a very alive party, blurring lines, raising questions about how we create social worlds with our assumptions. A piece of history with humor and bite.