Artwork
Afternoon

Afternoon is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist David Teniers the Younger. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
David Teniers the Younger's Afternoon, created in 1650, is a landscape painting that depicts the time of day indicated by its title alongside a tree.
David Teniers the Younger's Afternoon, created in 1650, is a landscape painting that depicts the time of day indicated by its title alongside a tree. The work focuses on natural elements rather than narrative scenes or complex allegorical figures. As a genre landscape, the painting represents the specific atmospheric qualities of the afternoon, utilizing the tree as a primary visual anchor within the composition.
Technique & Style
Afternoon is an oil painting executed on wood panel, employing oil paint as its medium. The work depicts a sunlit afternoon scene featuring a tree, reflecting Teniers' characteristic landscape genre. Its formal qualities include compositional balance and naturalistic rendering typical of 17th-century Flemish painting.
The painting measures 21 cm in height and 16 cm in width, as recorded in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp's collection data.
History & Provenance
The landscape painting Afternoon was created by David Teniers the Younger in 1650. Executed in oil on panel, the work measures 21 cm in height and 16 cm in width. It depicts a scene featuring a tree and an afternoon setting.
The piece is currently held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, part of the Vlaamse Kunstcollectie.
David Teniers the Younger's painting Afternoon, created in 1650, is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) within the Vlaamse Kunstcollectie. The work is executed in oil on panel and measures 21 cm in height by 16 cm in width. While the sources confirm its current location and physical dimensions, they do not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece. Furthermore, no details regarding the painting's exhibition history are recorded in the available documentation.
Context
Afternoon by David Teniers the Younger, painted in 1650, exemplifies the artist's mature approach to genre landscapes, blending meticulous naturalism with a subtle atmospheric mood that influenced later Flemish painters. The work depicts a tranquil afternoon scene with a tree, reflecting the pastoral idealism characteristic of mid-17th-century Flemish art and resonating within contemporary scholarly discussions of Teniers' role in shaping genre painting.
Its reception has been shaped by its inclusion in European collections, notably the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, where it remains part of the Vlaamse Kunstcollectie, underscoring its significance in both historical context and modern art historical narratives.
Overview
Afternoon, executed in oil around 1650, presents a tranquil rural tableau. The composition centers on a modest stone tower and an adjacent church, set against a pale sky dotted with light clouds. In the foreground, four figures in dark attire and broad hats converse on a rocky path, accompanied by a seated dog and a cross propped against a tree.
Artist & collection
Artist
David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, and artist.


















