CODART, Dutch and Flemish art in museums worldwide

Jan Steen’s Histories

15 February - 13 May 2018

Jan Steen’s Histories

Exhibition: 15 February - 13 May 2018

Meet Jan Steen as you probably didn’t know him before. This seventeenth century Dutch artist is mainly known as the painter of jolly and somewhat chaotic scenes from daily life – there is even a proverb in Dutch that refers to this, the ‘Jan Steen household’. But the artist also depicted entirely different subjects: paintings showing stories from the Bible, classical mythology, and history. A prime example is Moses and the Pharaoh’s Crown at the Mauritshuis. These are stories filled with excitement, drama, and passion. Through a selection of roughly twenty paintings, the exhibition shows that Steen was a versatile and ambitious artist, with considerable literary knowledge and a keen eye for the comical aspects of each story.

Jan Steen (ca. 1625-1679), The Mocking of Samson, ca.1675-1676 Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, Antwerp

Jan Steen (ca. 1625-1679), The Mocking of Samson, ca.1675-1676
Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, Antwerp


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