Man with a fiddle in bad company

About this work

A man in a red coat sits at a tavern table, fiddle in hand. An old woman hands him a drink while a younger woman sneaks his money. A man with a pipe watches from the side. This painting feels like a warning. The musician is too busy enjoying himself to notice the theft happening right under his nose. The scene is packed with small clues—like the songbook and the pipe—that tell a story without words. To see more works like this, explore the Rijksmuseum.