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David Teniers the Younger

The mid-17th century

20 x 22 cm, framed 35 x 40 cm

Oak panel, oil

Unknown

Private collection

findart David Teniers II is an outstanding Flemish painter of the 17th century, born in 1610 in Antwerp. His father, David Teniers the Elder, was also an artist, and his son received his first drawing and painting lessons from him. The financial difficulties of his father, according to the researchers, on the one hand, caused the rather difficult young years of the future master, and on the other hand, prompted him to start earning his living with his creativity early and achieve recognition.

In 1644, David took up a position in the Guild of Antwerp Artists - the Guild of St. Luke and gradually gained fame in local circles of artists and connoisseurs of painting. The Viceroy of the Spanish Netherlands, Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, began to patronize Teniers and in 1651 invited him to his Coudenberg palace. Teniers became a court painter and curator of an extensive gallery. One of David's most famous paintings depicts both of them against the backdrop of numerous canvases from the Archduke's collection.

In the following years, Teniers worked extensively and successfully to order. Among his most famous customers were King Philip IV of Spain and the stadtholder of the Netherlands Willem II van Oranje.
Teniers played a very significant role in the founding of the Antwerp Academy of Arts, and in 1663 became its first rector. At the same time, he was awarded the long-awaited title of nobility and from that time on he stopped charging for his paintings.