Old Man in an Inn

Adriaen Brouwer died at an early age, but rapidly became a cult figure. His paintings were highly prized, Rubens boasting seventeen of them. Old Man in an Inn is an impressively tranquil painting from the artist’s last years. In the background, an amorous couple is being observed from above. In the foreground, in a masterful depiction, an old citizen is drowsing. Note particularly the brushstrokes, as fine as hair, with which the crinkled ruff and the ravaged face are depicted.