A Country Festival near Antwerp
- Artist: David Teniers the Younger
- Date: after 1646
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "A Country Festival near Antwerp" by David Teniers the Younger. Here, we see the city of Antwerp silhouetted in the distance. In the foreground, cooks are busy preparing a meal in large cauldrons, while birds wheel overhead, anticipating the pickings soon to be had. A stone cross with an image of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child is adorned with wreaths, indicating that this scene is set during a religious celebration.
This composition bears many similarities to another painting by Teniers, which hangs in the collection of the Duke of Bedford. However, this version appears to be of lower quality, leading some art historians to believe it's a copy made in the master's studio rather than an original work. Notice the group on the left, who have traditionally been thought to be Teniers' family.
See it in person
A Country Festival near Antwerp hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
