The Chaff-cutter by David Teniers the Younger

The warm and solid presence of the thatched barn unifies this scene of peasant life. Framed against this backdrop, a dappled grey horse is grazing after a ride, its saddlebag on the ground nearby. There is an unhurried air, with a brood of bantam chickens bustling to one side, doves settled in the rooftop coop and a pig nestled in its sty, contemplating the scene while consuming a carrot. The stillness is only disrupted by the chaff-cutter, who is diligently wielding a scythe, the specks of falling wheat appearing as dashes of gold. A subtle note of humour can be found in the positioning of the pig’s head and the animal’s wary gaze, looking up towards the blade and perhaps envisioning a fate to come. Beyond, a story is unfolding. The yard neatly swept and eggs gathered in a bowl, a woman is on the threshold of entering the cottage, her attention drawn to the conversation at the gate.

This behind-the-scenes snapshot of rural life was produced by Flemish artist David Teniers (1610-90), who mastered the genre over a long and prolific career. Peaceful depictions of farm animals and humans coexisting were valued by his contemporaries as a mirror of seventeenth-century rural life in the Netherlands. Creating scenes, characters and landscapes that were purely imaginary, he infused his works with a raw charm and an element of story-telling which appealed to the genteel middle classes. Chaff-cutting is a rare subject in Dutch art, and this image can either be seen as a charming depiction of idealised peasant life, or a moral message of ‘separating the wheat from the chaff’.