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The Merry Family - Jan Steen

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An artwork on Galleree from Rijksmuseum.

About the artwork

This boisterous family is making a lot of noise: the father sings at the top of his lungs while raising a glass; the mother and grandmother chime in; and the children are either blowing into a wind instrument or smoking a long pipe. The note hanging from the mantelpiece gives away the moral of the story: ‘As the old sing, so shall the young twitter.’ What will become of the children if their parents set the wrong example?

Title(s) The Merry Family

Object type : painting

Physical features: oil on canvas

Material : Canvas, oil paint

Measurements: height 110.5 cm × width 141 cm

Artist : Jan Havicksz. Steen
Dating: 1668



About the artist

The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands. We tell the story of 800 years of Dutch history, from 1200 to now. We showcase over 8,000 works of art, including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh. In addition, we organize several exhibitions per year from our own collection and with (inter) national loans. In the Rijksmuseum you get to know the greatest works of art down to the smallest details.

The artwork posted on this site is through the museum's public domain/CC0 data and does not imply endorsement.

Address: Museumstraat 1, Amsterdam, Netherlands


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