This painting is a wood panel oil painting. After doing so research, I believe it's an original signed Adriaen van Ostade from the 17th century. The condition is good, with colors still being vibrant. There appears to have some small cracks in the paint, which adds to the thought of its age. After looking at the back a bit closer, it looks like it has a wooden covering that has bubbled up, but the painting is very flat, so I think there is a protective wooden layer that was added when it had a new frame. If it would be helpful, I could try to remove the painting from the frame to see what the actual back of the painting looks like. Thanks!
7.5 inches high by 6.25 inches in width.
Hello, this item is a small oil painting on wood panel, depicting two figures seated in a rustic tavern or pub interior, engaged in drinking and smoking. The scene follows a well-known Northern European genre tradition popularized in the 17th century by Dutch and Flemish masters such as Adriaen van Ostade, David Teniers the Younger, and Jan Steen. The subject matter—lower-class leisure in a tavern setting—is characteristic of van Ostade, and the figures’ facial expressions and loose brushwork echo his typical compositional humor and rustic realism. However, the signature’s legibility and stylistic execution suggest this is likely a later 19th- or early 20th-century pastiche, rather than a genuine van Ostade original.
The condition appears stable, with strong coloration and some minor craquelure, which aligns with either authentic age or intentional aging. The painting measures 7.5 x 6.25 inches and is relatively flat against a possibly later-added support panel. Without concrete provenance or technical analysis (such as dendrochronology of the wood, pigment analysis, or comparison to catalogued van Ostade works), attribution to the 17th century cannot be confirmed. Based on visual assessment alone, this is best categorized as a 19th-century Dutch School copy after van Ostade, with a fair market value in the range of $400–800 USD.