Adriaen and his younger brother Isack van Ostade were pupils of the famed Dutch portraitist Frans Hals. The brothers specialised in the depiction of peasants – Isack, who died aged only 28, focusing on exterior cottage views and Adriaen on humble, flood-lit interiors. The influence of Dou is particularly evident in the work of Adriaen; every nail, pebble and flagstone is meticulously rendered.