Search results for "jan+steen"

“Rederijkers” (rhetoricians) were aristocratic amateur poets who used to meet in chambers to practice their art. 
This is (a 19th century copy of) a painting Jan Steen made for a bet with Frans van Mieris, about who would be the fastest in producing a painting of a certain size.

The German Knupfer was one of the teachers of Jan Steen. 
The costumes of this couple are not contemporary. Possibly they are theatrical costumes.

Dutch caravaggist Stom or Stomer worked in Italy. More than 150 paintings by his hand are known; this is one of the few signed works. Two scenes from the apocryphal Bible book Tobit are depicted. In the background, Tobias junior, with the help of his guardian angel Raphael, texts a dangerous fish from the water. In the foreground, they roast it over the fire, but retain the entrails. These come in handy later to drive out an evil spirit, as depicted in the Jan Steen painting ‘the wedding night of Tobias and Sarah’.

Bredius bought this, thinking it was a Jan Steen. Later however, after a cleaning, the signature ‘J.Koolen’ was discovered.

Used to be two different paintings, joined in 1996. Left part owned by “‘s Rijks dienst voor verspreide kunstvoorwerpen”.
Steen’s teacher Knupfer produced a Tobias and Sara that was  his example for this scene.
For the story, see the biblical book of Tobit.

The theme of a drunkard returning home supported by his(?) wife is a recurring one in Steen’s oeuvre. This may be an early work of the master.

Here an old(?) man with a red nose peeks under the skirt of a not unwilling young woman. We are looking at a brothel-scene here: the red clothing of the woman makes it likely that she is a prostitute. The pipe leaning against the chamberpot also points in this direction: ‘cleaning one’s pipe’ is an old eufemism for visting a brothel.
The liquor bottle and the man’s red nose are an indication of excessive drinking. The brazier, the slippers and the stockings serve as sexual allusions.

After a fable by Aesop. The satyr finds man’s behavious baffling: the farmer blows in his hands to warm them up, and he blows over his soup to cool it down. I.o.w. he tries to reach two opposite results with the same act. 
Original fable here: The Man and the Satyr

To the right, a woman with a basket on her head who looks just like the one on nr. 111-1946 below.
The contrast between Mary in her blue cloak and the rustic shepherds produces a somewhat comical effect.

King Ahasuerus rises in fury as his wife Esther reveals the treachery of his chief minister Haman, who cringes to the left.

According to Bible (the book of Esther) , Haman plotted to massacre the Jews in the Persian empire.  Queen Esther summoned the two men to a banquet where she revealed the plot and her own Jewish identity.  The King’s angry reaction and a peacock pie – symbol of Haman’s fallen pride.