Conviviality in the tavern - Charles Venneman (1802-1875)

Oil on panel
Signed lower left: "Ch. Venneman 1854"

Charles Venneman was a Belgian painter who specialized in anecdotal genre scenes, flemish fairs, and landscapes with animals.
He moved to Antwerp in 1837, to work with his former teacher, De Braekeleer. While there, he came under the influence of the works of David Teniers and Adriaen van Ostade; particularly those that depicted villagers and peasants having fun. The resulting works are nostalgic in nature: pleasant, and reminiscent of similar works from the 17th century.