Jan Steen

Self-portrait of Jan Steen, c. 1670.

Jan Havickszoon Steen (c. 1626 – 1679) was a Dutch genre painter of the 17th century (also known as the Dutch Golden Age).

Life and work

Psychological insight, sense of humor, and abundance of color are marks of his trade. His main pictorial theme was daily life. Many of the genre scenes he portrayed, as in The Feast of Saint Nicholas, are lively to the point of chaos and lustfulness, even so much that 'a Jan Steen household', meaning a messy scene, became a Dutch proverb (een huishouden van Jan Steen). Subtle hints in his paintings suggest that Steen meant to warn the viewer rather than invite him to copy this behavior. Many of Steen's paintings bear references to old Dutch proverbs or literature. He often used his family members as models and painted quite a few self-portraits in which he showed no tendency of vanity.

Steen did not shy from other themes: he painted historical, mythological, and religious scenes, portraits, still lifes, and natural scenes. His portraits of children are famous. He is also well known for his mastery of light and attention to detail, most notably in Persian rugs and other textiles.

Steen was prolific, producing about 800 paintings, of which roughly 350 survive. His work was valued highly by contemporaries, and as a result, he was reasonably well paid. He did not have many students—only Richard Brakenburgh is recorded—but his work proved a source of inspiration for many painters.

Jan Steen and school corporal punishment

Among Jan Steen's work are scenes depicting school corporal punishment. They give insight into how Dutch schoolmasters punished their students in the 17th century. A wooden ferule was used to strike the hand. It is unknown how this implement was called in Dutch or when it fell out of fashion. Another artist who depicted the same subject is Krzysztof Lubieniecki.