Literature:  Hollstein.XL.66.53 state V; 
                   Nagler.20.401.148 state III;
                   C.W.163 state III. 

After the 1650 painting 'De Schaatsenrijders' by Adriaen van Ostade (1610-1685) in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv.no.SK-A-2332). 

Throughout his career Ostade used the tavern, or inn, as a setting for his peasant works. Rural inns provided lodging as well as food and drink, but they also served as important communal spaces, functioning as places for activities ranging from business transactions to holiday festivities. People gathered at inns and taverns for elections, trials, meetings of various types, and also to share news and gossip.

Though initially influenced by the subjects of Bruegel and Brouwer, Ostade soon refocused his images of peasant life to convey a sense of intimacy and simplicity.