Where Is The Merry Family? See It at Rijksmuseum

Q: What is The Merry Family about?

Jan Steen depicts a chaotic household where adults drink and smoke while children imitate them. A scroll reads 'As the old sing, so pipe the young.'

Q: Where can I see The Merry Family?

It's at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Steen painted many such scenes of domestic disorder, giving rise to the Dutch phrase 'a Jan Steen household.'

Q: Was Jan Steen serious or humorous?

Steen balanced comedy with moral messages. His seemingly fun Baroque scenes actually warned viewers about the consequences of excess and bad parenting.

Q: What does The Merry Family depict?

Jan Steen painted a chaotic household celebration where adults drink and smoke while children join in. A grandmother teaches a child to smoke a pipe. The Dutch phrase 'a Jan Steen household' still means a messy, disorderly home. It is a comic morality scene typical of Dutch Golden Age genre painting.

Q: Where can I see this painting?

It's at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Steen painted it in 1668. A banner in the painting reads 'As the old ones sing, the young ones chirp,' a Dutch proverb meaning children imitate their parents' behavior, for better or worse.

In 1668, Jan Steen created this notable oil on canvas painting that reflects the artistic concerns of the Baroque period, capturing the visual language of its time. As a Dutch artist, Jan Steen brought unique cultural perspectives to their work. The composition demonstrates Jan Steen's command of visual elements including color, form, and spatial arrangement. Each element contributes to a unified whole that rewards close looking. The work reflects both technical accomplishment and artistic vision. Today, this painting resides in the permanent collection of Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where visitors can experience its presence firsthand. Seeing the work in person reveals details of brushwork, scale, and color that reproductions cannot fully convey. The museum's collection provides important context for understanding this piece alongside other significant works from the same period and artistic tradition. Jan Steen (1626-1679) was a Dutch artist whose work contributed significantly to the art of the period. The artist's body of work demonstrates consistent themes and evolving technique across their career.

Jan Steen depicts a chaotic household where adults drink and smoke while children imitate them. A scroll reads 'As the old sing, so pipe the young.'

It's at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Steen painted many such scenes of domestic disorder, giving rise to the Dutch phrase 'a Jan Steen household.'

Steen balanced comedy with moral messages. His seemingly fun Baroque scenes actually warned viewers about the consequences of excess and bad parenting.

Jan Steen painted a chaotic household celebration where adults drink and smoke while children join in. A grandmother teaches a child to smoke a pipe. The Dutch phrase 'a Jan Steen household' still means a messy, disorderly home. It is a comic morality scene typical of Dutch Golden Age genre painting.

It's at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Steen painted it in 1668. A banner in the painting reads 'As the old ones sing, the young ones chirp,' a Dutch proverb meaning children imitate their parents' behavior, for better or worse.

The Merry Family

Details

Where to See It

The Artist

More by Jan Steen

Village Festival with the Ship of Saint Rijn Uijt

A Village Wedding

Smoker

Winter Landscape

Also at Rijksmuseum

The Apostle Paul

Jan Davidszoon de Heem

Vanitas Still Life With The Spinario

The Armorer

Related Baroque Works

The Laughing Cavalier

Girl with the Red Hat

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Laocoön

The Lacemaker

Woman Holding a Balance

Woman Reading a Letter

The Rokeby Venus

About The Merry Family

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