Bagpipe Player "Hearing"

Genre scenes and groups were the main focus of David Teniers the Younger.

A piper holds an inflated set of bagpipes, his fingers covering the holes, but the mouthpiece is not in use. His face is turned in a different direction. There is a striking change from the rougher brushwork in his face to the fine painting where the chanter emerges from the airbag. The red cap of the peasant peering at a piece of paper in the shadowy half of the picture forms a pleasing contrast to the piper's blue coat.
The second title of the picture, Hearing, refers to the popularity of "five senses" series in Flemish and Dutch painting. The piper is the personification of Hearing.