Artwork
Old Man and Woman
Old Man and Woman is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist David Teniers the Younger. It is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
David Teniers the Younger executed Old Man and Woman in 1750 using oil paint applied to a panel support.
David Teniers the Younger executed Old Man and Woman in 1750 using oil paint applied to a panel support. The work measures 13.8 cm in height and 12.0 cm in width, indicating a small-scale format typical of genre scenes from this period. Held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, the painting's material composition and dimensions are consistent with the artist's practice of creating intimate oil studies on wood.
History & Provenance
Old Man and Woman is an oil painting on panel created by David Teniers the Younger. The work was completed in 1750. It is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains located. The painting measures 13.8 cm in height and 12.0 cm in width.
Old Man and Woman is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, with its inventory recorded as 1973.151. The work has been part of the museum's collection since its acquisition. It was featured in the 1975 exhibition "European Paintings of the 18th Century" at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and again in the 1998 exhibition "Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century European Paintings" at the same institution.
Overview
David Teniers the Younger’s oil painting titled Old Man and Woman portrays a domestic pair against a darkened backdrop. Executed around the mid‑18th century, the work is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. The composition centers on two figures whose attire and gestures suggest a quiet, everyday scene rather than a formal portrait.
Subject & Meaning
The male figure holds a jug, his expression bright and open, while the female companion, veiled with a white headscarf, appears more restrained. Their contrasting demeanors may hint at differing roles within a household or a subtle commentary on gendered emotional expression in genre painting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, and artist.
