Painter of genre scenes, mostly taverns. He painted monks more often.

A monk wearing his habit holds his drink with an almost silly expression. In this painting, Van Heemskerck takes a mocking stance in portraying a figure that should embody seriousness and modesty, probably made as criticism against the Catholic Church. The monk indulges in wine, an earthly pleasure he is technically not allowed, and even holds the goblet from its base, a custom of higher social classes of the time.