Monday, October 6, 2025

The Harpsichord Lesson by Jan Steen

Beautiful painting.

The interior is sumptuously painted: ornately-carved doorway, a gilt-framed painting, graceful harpsichord, and luxuriously adorned silks.

Jan Steen was a famous Dutch genre painter often depicting satirical images with a “moralistic” cautionary overtone.

According to the Wallace Collection:

Here, a mismatched pair of lovers forms the subject: an old fool, in outmoded dress, masquerades as the music teacher of a prim young girl, seated at a harpsichord. The large key hanging prominently in the centre of the picture is placed on a line above the hand of the old man, implying his desire. That, however, his advances go unnoticed is indicated by the painting above it. It shows Venus, the goddess of love, and Cupid, the god of erotic desire, both of whom are asleep.

The suggestion of the teacher exploiting the student may be the case - accounting for his senescence.

Dutch art is replete with the theme of music lessons as a pretext for courtship. It’s interesting that the student is appears oblivious (which makes it all the more unpleasant).

No comments:

Post a Comment