The harpsichord lesson

Steen, Jan (1626-1679)

Item type:

painting

Date of creation:

1660s

Height:

37.4 cm  (14 3/4 in.)

Width:

48.4 cm  (19 1/16 in.)

Technique / Medium:

oil on oak panel

Description

From museum website: The Harpsichord Lesson shows Jan Steen's later, humorous response to the small, delicately-painted pictures of the mid to late 1650s by Ter Borch and Frans van Mieris, which often deal with the rituals of courtship. 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.

Iconclass

48C7211
musician training pupils, music-lesson
48C5142
picture within picture

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Harpsichord [2251]

RIdIM images

Image URLs

image link 1
image link 3

RIdIM record id

5963

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