Landscape with Inn at a River 

David Teniers the Younger painted this landscape with inn at a river, using oil paint on canvas, sometime in the 17th century. Teniers’s muted palette gives the scene a sense of everyday life, depicting figures congregating outside a modest inn. The inn itself, with its thatched roof and simple construction, appears almost as a temporary shelter, reflecting its connection to the transient nature of labor and trade in the 17th century. The scene is rendered with thin layers of paint, to create a sense of light and atmosphere. However, what stands out is the social realism, the portrayal of figures who seem deeply embedded in their environment. These details invite us to consider the broader context in which this work was made, and the important role of craftsmanship in Dutch Golden Age painting. They offer insight into the lives of ordinary people, and the networks of labor and exchange that shaped their world.