Our painter must have been active in Haarlem during the second quarter of the 17th century.

This painting stands close to works by Horatius Bollongier (probably born in Haarlem circa 1601 – died in Haarlem in or after 1675), who in his turn had been influenced by Adriaen Brouwer (who lived in Haarlem in 1626/27).

Another specialist of low-life scenes who was also influenced by Adriaen Brouwer, the so-called Master of the Large Jars (his name is unknown), worked in a similar way to Horatius, though his abstraction of the figures and forms is at times a bit naïve, while his treatment of the peasants is also caricatured. Typical of both painters are the rather angular movements of their figures.

 

 

Because this happy exterior scene is firmly rooted in the Haarlem tradition of tavern interiors and outside scenes.