Genre scene, attributed to to Matthieu Van Helmont (1623–1679)

This charming genre scene, painted on copper with great finesse, clearly resembles the work of Mattheus van Helmont, an Antwerp painter active in the mid-17th century who specialized in scenes of everyday life inspired by the Flemish tradition of David Teniers the Younger and Adriaen Brouwer.

The composition depicts several figures gathered around a table in an inn. The expressive faces, deliberately caricatured poses, animated gestures, and attention to everyday details all attest to a keen observation of everyday life. The artist skillfully employs lighting effects to make the figures stand out against a deliberately darkened background, a technique characteristic of Flemish painting of this period.
The copper support allows for particularly precise execution and remarkable color preservation. The glazes retain a beautiful transparency, and the details—fabrics, faces, objects—are rendered with great delicacy

The attribution to Mattheus van Helmont is notably supported by comparison with several tavern scenes signed by the artist. The smoker seated in the foreground embodies a figure particularly characteristic of his repertoire: a loose-fitting white shirt forming a strong luminous mass, a soft cap, his head tilted toward a pipe held horizontally, and his arm sharply bent. A very similar figure appears in a painting sold in Madrid at Ansorena, Campesinos fumando en un mesón. The deliberately earthy facial features, the palette of brown earth tones enlivened by red and white, the dim interior, and the grouping of figures around barrels and a rustic table are also recurring traits in Van Helmont’s work.
Since the artist also regularly worked on copper, both the medium and the meticulous execution of this painting support this attribution.

Beautiful 20th-century Dutch-style frame

Mattheus van Helmont
sometimes referred to as van Hellemont (born in Antwerp in 1623, active in Brussels after 1679), is known for his genre scenes inspired by everyday life, particularly rural life. He began his career in his hometown before settling in Brussels around 1674. Trained in the tradition of the great Flemish masters such as Adriaen Brouwer, David Ryckaert III, and David Teniers II, he gradually broke away from their influence to develop a personal style in his mature years. Admitted as a master to the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp in 1645, he produced a prolific body of work, including tavern scenes, views of bustling villages, popular festivals, and depictions of alchemists and artisans.
His works are most often signed or bear a monogram. He passed on his artistic craft to his sons, Jan (born in 1650) and Gaspard (born in 1656), who also pursued careers as painters.

Public Collections
Milan, Poldi-Pezzoli Museum
Stockholm, National Museum and Hallwylska Museet
Copenhagen, S. M. f. K.
Douai Museum
Ghent Museum
Budapest Museum

Comparable works at public auctions
Campesinos fumando en un meson
Lot No. 414 Oil on canvas 35 x 42 cm
Hammer price: 4,000 € PINTURA Y ARTES DECORATIVAS May 9, 2013
Ansorena, Madrid, Spain
Reproduced on page 128 of the catalog


Scena di osteria
Lot No. 34 Oil on copper, 22.5 x 17 cm
Price including fees: 3,612 €
Masterpieces from the Collection | A Legacy of the Charlemagne Foundation in Support of the Periferiacapitale Program: School of Paris, 20th-Century Avant-Gardes, and Old Masters
October 21, 2025 Arcadia S.r.l. Auction House, Rome RM, Italy Details: signed lower left
Provenance: Filippo Franco Gallery / Collection of Old Master Paintings / 18 Rue de l’Anémone, Brussels
Reproduced on page 67 of the catalog