Merrymaking in a Tavern by Jan Steen (1674) ✎

A classic of Jan Steen’s “merrymaking” genre paintings of the Dutch Golden Age.

I saw this at the Wallace Collection in London.

The tavern scene is filled with a variety of funny characters - mother with baby, dancers, violin players (17th century DJ), children, onlookers, branches hanging from wiring at the ceiling, pets on the floor, plates and cutlery around. Jan Steen is putting on a theatrical show. He’s an agent of chaos & anarchy.

✲✲✲

I was reminded of a comment made by Nick (nickhereandnow) recently. According to the Wallace, the key symbol is once again depicted on the wall:

Steen’s Merrymaking in a Tavern combines the Flemish tradition of low-life tavern scenes with the more elegant Dutch merry companies. The lively description of the domestic muddle of mothers, children, dancers, musicians and onlookers creates a boisterous scene. The lack of a central motif reinforces the work’s naturalistic appearance, yet the composition is carefully constructed around a group of selected incidents. A key hangs on the back wall of the tavern, suspended between a dancing girl and an older quarrelsome couple, as a warning of where such mayhem might lead. The variety of human life is depicted, with an old woman praying next to a young boy at a table, an amorous seated couple, a bagpipe player, a group of men drinking on the right and a mother, baby and crouching boy in the foreground. Each of these characters illustrates human conduct at different ages.

While doing some research for this post, I came across an essay by Hailey Byrde. She uses a painting by Metsu to show how a bird depicted can have both a sexual connotation while touching a broader Dutch perception about women’s “place”. I think the key is very clearly sexual (key going into lock) while also referring to the house and home. A clever symbol.

The Harpsichord Lesson by Jan Steen (1660-1669) ✎

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).