Who painted Interior, with an old woman peeling apples?

Interior, with an old woman peeling apples was painted by David Teniers the Younger in 1660.

Where can I see Interior, with an old woman peeling apples?

Interior, with an old woman peeling apples is held by Fitzwilliam Museum.

Artwork

Interior, with an old woman peeling apples

Interior, with an old woman peeling apples is an oil painting by David Teniers the Younger. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.

About this work

Overview

David Teniers the Younger’s oil painting Interior, with an old woman peeling apples dates from around 1660 and is part of the Fitzwilliam Museum’s collection. The work presents a modest, dimly lit interior where an elderly woman, seated on the floor, concentrates on peeling apples while a faint firelight glows from a hearth on the left.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure, an aged woman in plain, rustic attire, embodies domestic labor and quiet perseverance. Her lined face and careful movements suggest a life of routine tasks. A man entering through a doorway and a few chickens wandering the floor add layers of everyday life, reinforcing the painting’s focus on ordinary, unremarkable moments.

Technique & Style

Teniers employs chiaroscuro, contrasting the warm firelight with deep shadows to model forms and give the scene a three‑dimensional presence. The brushwork is restrained, emphasizing texture in the woman’s clothing and the rough floorboards, while the muted palette enhances the intimate, subdued atmosphere of the interior.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1660, the canvas entered the Fitzwilliam Museum’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains on display. Its attribution to David Teniers the Younger aligns with his known output of genre scenes depicting Flemish domestic life during the mid‑seventeenth century.