Peasants smoking outside a tavern

A pupil of David Teniers II, Van Tilborgh is recorded as initially having studied under his father; he subsequently moved to Brussels, where in 1654 he became a member of the painters' guild. His earlier work consists mostly of genre scenes of peasant life, such as kermesse and tavern scenes in the manner of his master and Joos van Craesbeeck, and group portraits of Flemish burghers. After 1666 (the year he was appointed keeper of the picture collection in Tervuren Castle) he specialised in painting kunstkammer interiors.