The Smokers

Adriaen Brouwer captured peasants smoking in a dim tavern, their faces flushed and expressions ranging from contemplative to dazed. Tobacco smoke curls through the murky air as these rough characters pursue their simple pleasure. Brouwer's loose brushwork captures the scene with notable immediacy.

This 1636 painting exemplifies Brouwer's specialty: low-life genre scenes rendered with psychological insight. Despite his short life (he died around 32), both Rubens and Rembrandt collected his work. This painting hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.