“gamblers And Drinkers” By Gerrit Lundens (amsterdam 1622–1686) 58 X 49 Cm

Inn Scene
Oil on oak panel – three planks – Signed by a master panel maker
Dimensions: 58 × 49 cm.

This charming genre scene depicts the interior of a Dutch inn where several figures are gathered around a table. At the centre of the composition, a young maid, lost in thought, contrasts with the men surrounding her, whilst a figure wearing a tall conical hat appears to be catching her attention. Upstairs, a man leans out of an interior window, raising a glass, adding a theatrical and humorous touch to this scene of everyday life.

The work is painted on a remarkable oak panel consisting of three planks, assembled with exceptional care, which has remained perfectly flat over the centuries. The reverse bears the iron-stamped mark of a master panel maker, testifying to the quality of the support and its manufacture in a specialist workshop.

This composition shares many similarities with the work of Gerrit Lundens, a painter active in Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age. He was renowned for his tavern scenes, gatherings of the common people and lively interiors, in which he excelled at depicting the characters’ demeanours, their interactions and the small episodes of everyday life. His art follows in the tradition of Jan Miense Molenaer and Adriaen van Ostade, whilst developing a personal style characterised by lively storytelling, a warm colour palette and an intimate atmosphere.

The rustic interior architecture, with its high exposed timber beams, deep spaces and play of light and shadow, effectively structures the composition. The light, applied in successive brushstrokes, highlights the main figures, whilst the figure emerging from upstairs, glass raised, lends a theatrical liveliness characteristic of 17th-century Dutch painting.

Gerrit Lundens is also known for his scenes of popular festivities, peasant weddings and inn interiors, now held in numerous public and private collections. His work remains highly sought after for its narrative quality, his observation of Dutch society and the quality of his execution.

This painting was acquired at public auction with the attribution ‘Attributed to Gerrit Lundens ’. It is a fine example of 17th-century Dutch genre painting and skilfully captures the warm and lively atmosphere of working-class interiors during the Dutch Golden Age.

Stylistic comparison

A comparison of the photograph (Artprice, Christie’s auction) with this work by Gerrit Lundens proves particularly interesting. Beyond the similarity of the subject matter – a lively inn interior – several elements of composition and treatment correspond with remarkable consistency.

Both paintings feature a spacious interior with exposed timber beams, a scene centred around a table (with dice and cards) bringing together several figures, and a young woman occupying the psychological centre of the composition. In both cases, she is distinguished by a delicately modelled face, a white bonnet, a dark bodice, a light-coloured apron and a blue skirt, whilst the male figures enliven the scene around her.

A work on panel, of almost identical dimensions, *The Palette*, dominated by warm browns, greys and ochres, punctuated by accents of white, blue and red, together with the highly controlled use of light, contributes to this same intimate atmosphere characteristic of 17th-century Dutch genre scenes.

The combination of these similarities in composition, colour palette, character types and staging constitutes a set of clues that is particularly consistent with Gerrit Lundens’ pictorial language and reinforces the attribution made at the public auction of our painting.

Comparable works at public auctions:

Interior, 17th Century
Attributed to Gerrit LUNDENS (1622–1683)
Lot No. 435
Painting
Oil on panel 60 x 84 cm 
Hammer price: €3,400 Estimate: €4,000
24 May 2014
Hagelstam
Helsinki, Finland

Peasants Making Music in a Tavern
Attributed to Gerrit LUNDENS (1622–1683)
Lot No. 141
Painting
Oil on panel 47 x 68 cm
Hammer price: €9,120 (£6,000) Price including fees: €10,488 (£6,900) Estimate: €9,120 – €12,160 (£6,000 – £8,000)
IMPORTANT OLD MASTER PICTURES
03/12/1997
Christie's London, Royaume-Uni