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Adriaen Brouwer, who worked both in the Southern and Northern Netherlands, left behind a small oeuvre of about 60 paintings. In this rare early work, a group of country folk have assembled outside an inn for a game of bowls and other pastimes. Other artists deeply admired his vivid brushwork, bold coloring, and amusing characters. Rembrandt owned six Brouwer paintings, while Rubens had seventeen.
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Tavern Yard with a Game of Bowls
Adriaen Brouwer (Flemish, 1606–1638)
Medium/Technique
Oil on panel
Dimensions
40.6 × 61 cm (16 × 24 in.)
Credit Line
The Maida and George Abrams Collection—Partial gift, and museum acquisition with funds donated by Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo, in support of the Center for Netherlandish Art
Accession Number2020.400
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsPaintings
Adriaen Brouwer, who worked both in the Southern and Northern Netherlands, left behind a small oeuvre of about 60 paintings. In this rare early work, a group of country folk have assembled outside an inn for a game of bowls and other pastimes. Other artists deeply admired his vivid brushwork, bold coloring, and amusing characters. Rembrandt owned six Brouwer paintings, while Rubens had seventeen.
InscriptionsMonogrammed AB in ligature on the bowl at right
Provenance1985, Bernard Benattia (dealer), Paris [see note]; 1985, sold by Benattia to Jan van Trigt (dealer), Rotterdam; June 8, 1985, sold by Jan van Trigt to Gerard Meyer (dealer), Amsterdam; 1985, sold by Gerard Meyer to George S. and Maida Abrams, Newton, MA; 2020, sold by George S. Abrams to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 16, 2020)
NOTE: This is one of at least six closely-related compositions by, attributed to, or after Adriaen Brouwer. When it was sold in 1985, it was attributed to an artist working in the style of David Teniers. In The Age of Rubens (exh. cat. MFA Boston, 1993-1994), pp. 407-408, it was published with an erroneous provenance.
NOTE: This is one of at least six closely-related compositions by, attributed to, or after Adriaen Brouwer. When it was sold in 1985, it was attributed to an artist working in the style of David Teniers. In The Age of Rubens (exh. cat. MFA Boston, 1993-1994), pp. 407-408, it was published with an erroneous provenance.