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Notes
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The depiction is unusually lewd. The man, his trousers open at the front, is wedging the woman’s legs apart with his knee and forcing his hand up her skirts. She fights back, trying to push his hand away and pulling at his hair with a determined grip. The sharp cry of pain which distorts his face has attracted the attention of his fellow drinkers. Whether we are witnessing a prostitute fighting off a drunken client, a sexual assault on a barmaid or simply watching a lovers’ tiff isn’t made explicit.
Title
Tavern Scene
Date
about 1635
Medium
Oil on oak
Measurements
H 48 x W 67 cm
Accession number
NG6591
Acquisition method
Bought with the support of a number of gifts in wills, 2002
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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Interior of a Room with Figures: A Man Playing the Lute, and a Woman Victoria and Albert Museum -
Boors Smoking and Drinking National Trust, Ham House -
A Boor Asleep The Wallace Collection -
Interior of a Tavern Dulwich Picture Gallery -
The Topers (Boors Smoking in an Interior) Dover Collections -
The Smokers English Heritage, The Wellington Collection, Apsley House -
Tavern Scene The National Gallery, London - 28 more