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The subject is taken from the annual Flemish celebration of the Feast of Epiphany. The Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings (Matthew 2:1-12) was celebrated on the 6th January, and was usually the occasion of a large family dinner. The evening began with the proclamation of a 'king', chosen by lot. This was often done by the concealment of a bean in a large cake, and the person in whose portion it was found would preside over the festivities. The subject was particularly popular among artists, notably the Flemish painter Jacob Jordaens, who painted it several times, and in most cases, as here, the role of the 'King' is appropriately played by the eldest member of the company.
The painting has in the past been attributed to the Utrecht painter Jan Gerritsz. van Bronckhorst. However, stylistically the painting is closer to the work of Haarlem painters such as Jan Miense Molenaer and Judith Leyster, in whose circle such subjects seem to have enjoyed a particular vogue.
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