Jan Steen (c. 1626-1679)
Who is Steen? Jan Havickszoon Steen was born in Leiden, The Netherlands, around 1626, and also died there in 1679. He lived during the same time as artists like Frans Hals, Rembrandt, and Johannes Vermeer. Steen came from a family of brewers, which may explain the abundance of alcohol in some of his paintings.
He is considered a genre painter as he often depicted scenes from everyday life. However, he has also created some paintings with biblical, mythological, and historical themes. He often incorporated some humor in his paintings, is known for his colorful paintings, and his works were appreciated by his contemporaries. Steen created many paintings during his life and over 300 of them have survived.
He is considered a genre painter as he often depicted scenes from everyday life. However, he has also created some paintings with biblical, mythological, and historical themes. He often incorporated some humor in his paintings, is known for his colorful paintings, and his works were appreciated by his contemporaries. Steen created many paintings during his life and over 300 of them have survived.
Blogs about Works of Steen
Celebrating the Birth (1664)
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Rhetoricians at the Window c.
(1658-1665)
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The Merry Family (1668)
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Further Readings
- Jan Steen, Painter and Storyteller: While it was already written in 1996, it is a very informative book about his life, personality and art (Amazon link).
Videos
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