Flemish school of the XVIII century. Following models of DAVID TENIERS II.

Flemish school of the XVIII century. Following models of DAVID TENIERS II "THE YOUNG", (Antwerp, 1610 - Brussels, 1690).
"Surgical operation".
Oil on copper.
With label on the back.
The original is in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
Measurements: 25 x 21 cm; 42 x 34 cm (frame).
Placed in a modest interior with only a table, low illumination and no opening to the landscape nor window by which light penetrated, the present scene shows an inconsequential subject, placed in a tavern. Two humble people, dressed in the fashion of the time and of the area, are situated around a table with a loaf of bread and a jug of wine. The woman in the foreground plays the flute while the old man in the background listens enthusiastically.
This work is therefore part of the genre of tavern painting, created in early Baroque Flanders by the masters Adriaen Brouwer (1605 - 1638) and David Teniers (1610 - 1690), which was soon to arrive in Holland. As its name suggests, these are scenes set in taverns, called costumbrista works for showing the common customs of the common people of the time, with a variety of styles important, but always maintaining both the theme and a clear preference for an earthy palette. Influenced by the two masters mentioned above, the painter who makes this type of work, usually works an interior space with a very refined chromatic range, based on earthy and ochre tones, typical of the naturalism of the first baroque. In terms of style, these painters usually produced more detailed works; precise brushstrokes, loose but short, defining the shapes and qualities of figures and objects, without downplaying the importance of drawing.
Son of David Teniers I, in his youth he remained faithful to his father's style. However, he soon specialized in genre painting, closely linked to the Flemish tradition. In 1638 he joined the Guild of Saint Luke, of which he would later become dean. Among his patrons were the Bishop of Ghent and Archduke Leopold William. Teniers was also artistic director of the archduke's collection, a position that included not only the conservation of paintings, but also the responsibility of choosing and acquiring new works for what was one of the most important painting collections of the 17th century. Thanks to this, the painter had the opportunity to get to know and study first-hand works by both contemporary and earlier masters, from different schools and genres. In 1651 he moved to Brussels on the occasion of his appointment as court painter, a position he retained with the arrival of the new archduke, John Joseph of Austria. He enjoyed the freedom to work for other patrons, among them the greatest art connoisseurs of the seventeenth century: Christina of Sweden, William II of Orange and Philip IV. Supported by the latter, in 1669 he succeeded in realizing his project to create the Antwerp Academy. His influence reached the 18th century, and his works were part of the collections of the first Bourbons of Spain. His compositions were copied in tapestries that adorned the royal palace in Madrid, giving rise to a genre of great popularity.