Village Scene 

David Teniers the Younger painted this "Village Scene" sometime in the 17th century on a small wood panel. Teniers was a Flemish painter, born in Antwerp, where the Guild of Saint Luke had long regulated artistic production. Teniers became master of the Guild himself and even became dean, so we can assume he was invested in the art institutions of his day. "Village Scene" depicts a humble thatched cottage, occupied by peasants. It also shows us an imposing manor house in the background. These visual codes comment on the social structures of the time, particularly the distinction between rural poverty and aristocratic wealth. To better understand such distinctions, historians like myself rely on archival records from the period. These types of paintings are a window into the lives and the social norms of 17th century Flanders.