In its boisterous, rotund figures and impression of peasant prosperity this tavern scene celebrates the legacy of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, almost a century after his death. Tobacco was a recent import into Holland and was frequently mixed with more narcotic substances. Smoking in art probably carried the same sort of associations as drunkenness. There may also have been a desire to demonstrate how painting could miraculously evoke the sense of smell through the eyes. Inscribed upper left: 'Av Ostade 1665' and on the tabled hanging on the wall: ‘Dit huis is te koop te vragen by Av. Ostade’ (This house is for sale, enquire A van Ostade).