Public domain
The Smoker
From the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Slouching in his chair, with his breeches open, the man blows smoke from his pipe through his nose. His eyes are glazed, as though he is in a stupor. In the 17th century smoking had fervent supporters as well as opponents. Some scholars held that tobacco smoke was therapeutic for both body and spirit; others were convinced that pipe-smoking was as harmful as excessive drinking.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineDe roker. c. 1635 - c. 1640. Adriaen Brouwer. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Public domain.
