Adriaen Brouwer (c. 1605-1638): Old man in a pub
Oil on canvas, 34,9 x 28 cm
Flemish Community

In his limited oeuvre dealing with societal hierarchy, he opts for the trivial: pub scenes with an erotic hint. He had the audacity to hold up a mirror of the everyday. Through his painterly virtuosity, he does however transcend the banal moralising depictions of the everyday of the painters in his time. This painting is, as it were, a key moment in the story of the image, since it represents the shift from the depiction of an idealised world to a radical, yet still a subtle, reflection of everyday reality.