Peasants playing dice (recto)
Maker
(artist)
1610-1690
1610-1690
Title
Peasants playing dice (recto)
Date of Production
(circa) 1648 - 1649
Medium
graphite (recto and verso) on laid paper
Dimensions
Height: 21.3 cm
Width: 34.7 cm
Width: 34.7 cm
Accession Number
D.1952.RW.2802
Mode of Acquisition
Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952
Credit
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Copyright
Work in the public domain
Location
Not currently on display
Keywords
Label Text
This gambling scene is executed in graphite, a medium typical of Teniers who is considered a pioneer in the technique. Here it permitted him to hatch the background rapidly while rendering the figures precisely. Besides using sketches such as this as preparatory studies for prints and paintings, Teniers also produced them for sale. In contrast to the loud and crude tavern gatherings of artists like Adriaen Brouwer, his calm scene assigns dignity to the peasants absorbed in their game.
Provenance
Lord Egmont; Henry Oppenheimer, London (1859-1932); his estate sale, Christie's (London), 10 - 13 July 1936, lot 319A; purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952); Witt Bequest 1952
Exhibition History
Special Display - Drawing Peasants, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 30/09/2010-10/02/2011
Bruegel: une dynastie de peintres, Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, 18/09/1980-18/11/1980
Flemish drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, October 1977-January 1978 ...More
High Life, Low Life: David Teniers the Younger, Rye Art Gallery, 1972 (Apr.-May)
Tekeningen van Jan van Eyck tot Rubens / De Van Eyck à Rubens: les maitres flamands du dessin, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam, 17/12/1948-01/02/1949; Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, 08/02/1949-16/03/1949; Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 17/03/1949-03/05/1949
catalogue untraced, San Francisco, 1938 ...Less
Bruegel: une dynastie de peintres, Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, 18/09/1980-18/11/1980
Flemish drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, October 1977-January 1978 ...More
High Life, Low Life: David Teniers the Younger, Rye Art Gallery, 1972 (Apr.-May)
Tekeningen van Jan van Eyck tot Rubens / De Van Eyck à Rubens: les maitres flamands du dessin, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam, 17/12/1948-01/02/1949; Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, 08/02/1949-16/03/1949; Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 17/03/1949-03/05/1949
catalogue untraced, San Francisco, 1938 ...Less
Literature
Cavalli-Björkman, Görel, et al., Dutch and Flemish paintings. III Flemish paintings, c. 1600-c. 1800, Stockholm, 2010
pp. 391-92, under no. 206
Klinge, Margareta, 'David Teniers der Jüngere als Zeichner, Die Antwerpen Schaffenszeit (1633-1651)' in 'Jaarboek van het Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten', 1997 - 71-282
pp. 140-42 and no. 28 on p. 244
pl. 28 on p. 141
Bruegel: une dynastie de peintres, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 1980
cat. no. 242
ill. ...More
Flemish drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, October 1977- January 1978
cat. no. 69
High Life, Low Life: David Teniers the Younger, Rye Art Gallery, April - May 1972
cat. no. 17
no. 17
Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 131
Christie's. The famous Collection of Drawings by Old Masters formed by the late Henry Oppenheimer, Esq., FSA (1936) ...Less
pp. 391-92, under no. 206
Klinge, Margareta, 'David Teniers der Jüngere als Zeichner, Die Antwerpen Schaffenszeit (1633-1651)' in 'Jaarboek van het Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten', 1997 - 71-282
pp. 140-42 and no. 28 on p. 244
pl. 28 on p. 141
Bruegel: une dynastie de peintres, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 1980
cat. no. 242
ill. ...More
Flemish drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, October 1977- January 1978
cat. no. 69
High Life, Low Life: David Teniers the Younger, Rye Art Gallery, April - May 1972
cat. no. 17
no. 17
Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 131
Christie's. The famous Collection of Drawings by Old Masters formed by the late Henry Oppenheimer, Esq., FSA (1936) ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: none.
Collector's mark: none.
Inscription: Recto: within the drawing, graphite: figures at far left and right each labelled "J" on their jackets, as are the trousers of the man seated behind the table; two figures at centre labelled "S" - one on his waist, also with a "V" on his cap, the other on his upper arm; figure seated on bench labelled "M" on his back, the bench itself also labelled "M"; table in right background labelled "V"; lower right edge, on edge of desk, light brown ink, so faded now almost illegible: "D. Teniers". Verso: lower left, graphite: "Ld Egmonts Collection".
Collector's mark: none.
Inscription: Recto: within the drawing, graphite: figures at far left and right each labelled "J" on their jackets, as are the trousers of the man seated behind the table; two figures at centre labelled "S" - one on his waist, also with a "V" on his cap, the other on his upper arm; figure seated on bench labelled "M" on his back, the bench itself also labelled "M"; table in right background labelled "V"; lower right edge, on edge of desk, light brown ink, so faded now almost illegible: "D. Teniers". Verso: lower left, graphite: "Ld Egmonts Collection".
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