"The Feast of St. Nicholas," Jan Steen, 1665-8.

Steen (1626-79) was famous for his scenes of everyday life, which were both sentimental but also humorous.

In this Yuletide scene, the good little girl has a bucket of treats, while the sobbing brother has none...but grandmother seems to be beckoning to him from the back, hinting she may have a surprise for him. Another brother points up the chimney to amaze a youngster. There's a miniature still life in the lower left corner, and an assortment of goodies here and there. One child holds a gingerbread man in the form of St. Nicholas himself.

The scene is chaotic and jumbled, a hallmark of Steen's work, and many feel it was his way of depicting the society of the time. There's also a possible hint of darkness. The little girl's doll is John the Baptist; an odd selection for a child's toy. Some scholars have noted that John the Baptist is the patron of epileptics, and perhaps that it's an indication the girl has convulsions and that he's meant to watch over her.

Scenes of everyday life were popular in the Netherlands at the time, and Steen was popular for his visual storytelling & his tendency to poke gentle fun at society.

From the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

#Art #JanSteen #DutchGoldenAge #GenreArt #StNicholas #HoHoHo

𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝗮𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗱𝗮𝗮𝗻

Een bronzen borstbeeld van de zeventiende-eeuwse schilder Jan Steen in Warmond is verdwenen. De gemeente Teylingen, waar Warmond onder valt, vermoedt diefstal en doet aangifte, meldt zij vrijdag.

https://www.rtl.nl/boulevard/artikel/5530497/bronzen-beeld-schilder-jan-steen-weg-warmond-aangifte-gedaan

#JanSteen #Bronzenbeeld #Warmond

Bronzen hoofd van standbeeld beroemde schilder spoorloos #OmroepWest #Warmond #JanSteen #Standbeeld #Warmond #Diefstal

https://owst.nl/5017513/M

Als je bij ons in de hal de luchtverfrisser uit het stopcontact trekt, begint de plafonnière te knipperen. Nou en.

Het is een van die problemen die nooit de shortlist halen. Net als het schilderij dat we als barricade voor de trap zetten, zodat de kat niet naar boven glipt. Of de toiletknop die je half moet indrukken omdat die anders blokkeert. En de deurklink bij de kamer van de jongste: die werkt alleen als je hem omhoog duwt.

https://www.schroder.blog/p/scheve-plinten

#zkv #230volt #huishouden #jansteen