An Old Woman Reading
- Artist: David Teniers the Younger
- Date: 17th century
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "An Old Woman Reading" by David Teniers the Younger. Painted in the late 17th century, it's a great example of atronie, which was a style of painting popular at that time. Atronie often featured stock characters with exaggerated expressions and gestures, but in this case, we see something more subtle.
The old woman is dressed in simple clothing typical of Calvinists, followers of a strict Protestant faith. She's reading from the Bible, and it's clear she's portraying a pious old age. David Teniers the Younger was an extremely successful painter during his lifetime, and his work was widely imitated.
This particular painting seems to be one of those copies, possibly created after Teniers' death. It's interesting to see how artists were inspired by each other's work in that era. Notice how it's painted with oil on wood, which gives the piece a rich texture.
See it in person
An Old Woman Reading hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
