On-line gallery
- Reference number
- P01811
- Author
- Teniers, David
- Title
- The Bivouac
- Chronology
- 1640-1650
- Technique
- Óleo
- Support
- Tabla
- Measures
- 63 cm x 89 cm
- School
- Flamenca
- Theme
- Género y sociedad
- On display
- No
- Procedence
- Royal Collection
A group of soldiers rest indoors. In the foreground, one of them leaves his armor on a hanger along with the rest of his companions' weapons, cuirasses and helmets. On the right, a page helps one of the soldiers to remove his boots.
The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) was an oft' repeated subject among Flemish painters and its military facet is used by Teniers here to construct one of his customary indoor scenes.
He uses an overhead light that illuminates the foreground and the background, but leaves the middle ground in semi-darkness, which helps to create perspective in the rear. Beginning with an overall tonality drawn from the works of Adriaen Brouwer (1605/1606-1638), Teniers adds touches of color to diverse objects, especially the military equipment. These, alone, are a magnificent still life, showing the painter's skill at depicting objects.
This is one of the few works by Teniersw to be documented in Spain in the seventeenth century. It was already at Madrid's Alc












