Jan Steen
Born – Leyden, Netherlands c.1625
Died – Leyden, Netherlands 1679
Jan Steen worked in various Dutch towns including Leyden, The Hague, Delft and Haarlem. He painted humorous subjects drawn from the life of the peasant and middle classes, subjecting his biblical paintings to the same everyday treatment. Unsurprisingly, given that he leased a brewery in Delft and kept an inn in Leyden, he most represented tavern scenes. However, many of these provided him with the opportunity to depict a large, festive, social gathering rather than celebrate bucolic revelry. Indeed, he sometimes used these works to moralize, relying in humour to leaven his essentially serious message, Steen was the son-in-law of Jan van Goyen and painted a few landscapes in his style. He also painted some portraits and featured some delightful collections of still life within larger genre paintings. Skittle Players does not appear to have any didactic purpose. It is a cheerful scene of people taking advantage of a sunny day to relax and enjoy themselves. The harmonious composition reveals Steen’s remarkable skills as a colourist.
Masterpieces:
- The Effects of Intemperance
- The Morning Toilet
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
Books About jan steen
Jan Steen: Painter and Storyteller
H. Perry Chapman
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Jan Steen in the Mauritshuis (Mauritshuis Collection)
Ariane van Suchtelen
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Jan Steen 1626-1679 (Rijksmuseum Dossiers)
Wouter Kloek
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