David Teniers “The Younger” – A Pair of Lovers in a Landscape

Original – Call For Price

6.5″ X 9″

David Teniers II (baptized December 15, 1610, Antwerp—died April 25, 1690, Brussels), also known as David Teniers the Younger, was a highly prolific and versatile Flemish Baroque painter. Born into a family of artists, he was the son and pupil of David Teniers the Elder. He joined the Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp in 1633.

Teniers is best remembered as the leading Flemish genre painter of his era, particularly known for his scenes of peasant life, tavern interiors, and “kermesses” (popular celebrations). His early works show the influence of Adriaen Brouwer. In 1637, he married Anna Brueghel, daughter of the renowned painter Jan Brueghel the Elder, a union that further connected him to prominent artistic circles, as Rubens was a witness at their wedding.

A significant turning point in his career came in 1647 when he entered the service of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, the Governor General of the Spanish Netherlands, as his court painter and curator of his extensive art collection. This prestigious position brought him considerable status and wealth. Teniers was instrumental in expanding the Archduke’s collection, even traveling to London to acquire Italian masterpieces. He also produced the Theatrum Pictorium in 1660, the first illustrated catalogue of paintings, which documented the Archduke’s collection.

Beyond genre scenes, Teniers was also an innovator in other genres including landscape painting, portraiture, and scenes featuring alchemists and physicians. He was the driving force behind the founding of the Academy of Antwerp in 1664, an institution dedicated to training young artists and reviving Flemish art after the deaths of Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. Teniers lived to an old age for his time, dying at 80, and his works remained highly sought after throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.