David Teniers produced many scenes that illustrated the popular Dutch sentiment that ‘Life is not all beer and skittles’. This is one of the largest paintings made by Teniers on the theme. Its composition reinforces the notion that individuals must choose between the paths of vice and virtue. To the left, men play skittles and drink, while a companion relieves himself at the fence. On the right hand side, across the river, a woman labours at her washtub, a figure of industry and good housekeeping. A river marks the midpoint of the composition and guides the eye to a church steeple, nestled before some distant hills.