Artwork
The Master Drinker
The Master Drinker is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Unknown. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
The medium and modest scale support the work's character as a small-scale cabinet piece rather than a large decorative commission.
The Master Drinker is executed in oil paint on panel, a support typical of seventeenth-century Flemish genre painting. The work measures 39.5 cm in height by 52.5 cm in width, presenting a horizontal format suited to its intimate tavern subject. Its classification as a genre scene places it within the tradition of low-life subject matter associated with Adriaen Brouwer and his manner, rendered through the painterly handling that oil on panel allows.
The medium and modest scale support the work's character as a small-scale cabinet piece rather than a large decorative commission.
History & Provenance
The painting is dated to 1670 based on its catalogued inception year in the Rijksmuseum’s records.
The work entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings as part of its collection, where it is currently located. The museum’s collection record assigns the painting to the manner of Adriaen Brouwer, indicating attribution through stylistic association rather than direct authorship.
The Master Drinker is held in the Rijksmuseum collection and is catalogued under that institution's inventory. The work measures 39.5 cm by 52.5 cm and dates to 1670. It has been exhibited in the Rijksmuseum's own displays of Dutch Golden Age paintings, including a presentation of works attributed to the circle of Adriaen Brouwer.
Overview
The Master Drinker is a painting executed in oil paint, depicting a lively scene in a dimly lit room.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows a group gathered around a wooden table, with one man drinking from a large horn, surrounded by cups, bread, and other objects, conveying a sense of communal revelry.
Artist & collection
