Jan Steen is surely one of the most amusing painters of the seventeenth century. His paintings reveal a keen interest in scenes from ordinary life, for weddings and feasts, for the celebration of St. Nicholas and the Epiphany, all shown with a comical note. He was also a superb technician with remarkable methods of working. This book discusses the many works by Steen held in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and goes on to explore his entire oeuvre. In addition it also describes his life, his self image and his reputation. The elusive Steen was more than just a comedian and the symbol of a disorderly household; he was also a connoisseur of art, theater and the stories of classical mythology and the Bible. Jan Steen deserves the fullest praise and this book will serve as a tribute to this talented artist.

Jan Steen 1626-1679 (Rijksmuseum Dossiers)

Kloek, Wouter

Reference

W-Books

The sea was of crucial importance for the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands in the 17th century. The merchant ships brought great wealth while the fisheries fed hundreds of thousands of mouths. The navy kept the seas safe and protected the country from invasion, and consequently its admirals and naval officers enjoyed a high status. The memory of these sea heroes has been kept alive through impressive paintings, prints, drawings and memorabilia. But what is the story behind these objects? How and why were they made and what do they really show? This book gives fascinating insights into Dutch maritime history. Read all about the great naval battles of the Dutch Golden Age and the people they made famous: heroes like Jacob van Heemskerck, Piet Hein, Maerten and Cornelis Tromp and Michiel de Ruyter, but also artists like Hendrick Vroom, Willem van de Velde the Elder and the Younger, and Ludolf Backhuysen. Contents: 1 Focus: From Sea Beggars To A Navy 2 Jacob Van Heemskerck And Gibraltar 3 Piet Hein And The Silver Fleet 4 Focus: The Navy, The People And The Means 5 Maerten Tromp, The Downs And The First Anglo-Dutch War 6 Cornelis Tromp And Livorno 7 Focus: The Artists And Their Patrons 8 Michiel De Ruyter And The Second Anglo-Dutch War 9 De Ruyter Once More: The Third Anglo-Dutch War 10 Focus: Memorabilia

Sea Battles in the Dutch Golden Age

Arts & Photography

Sigmond, Peter

History & Criticism

• For the first time in book form, presenting history-pieces by Jan Steen • 17th century paintings from the Dutch Golden Age • Contributions by Ariane van Suchtelen, Wouter Kloek and Mariët Westermann Jan Steen, one of the most popular painters of the Dutch Golden Age, is known for his humorous depictions of dissolute households, tavern interiors, quacksalvers and love-sick young women. He was unrivalled in poking fun at every conceivable human weakness and vice. A lesser known fact is that he also painted history pieces: scenes based on episodes from the Bible, apocryphal writings and mythology - stories full of excitement, drama and passion. As he did in his genre pieces, Steen devoted a great deal of attention in his history paintings to the interaction between the figures, and was keenly aware of the satirical possibilities of every story. In contrast to what his later image suggests, Jan Steen was a versatile and ambitious artist with a profound knowledge of art history and literature: knowledge that comes to the fore in his history pieces. This richly illustrated publication, written by experts on Jan Steen, focuses on this little-known part of the artist's oeuvre. Contents: Introduction followed by three essays on Jan Steen's history pieces, followed by a catalogue that discusses a selection of the most important paintings of biblical and mythological subjects. The book will be published to accompany the eponymous exhibition at the Mauritshuis, The Hague, the Netherlands.

Jan Steen's Histories

Westermann, Mariët

van Suchtelen, Ariane

Uitgeverij Waanders & De Kunst

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