Jan Steen (Leiden 1626 – Leiden 1679)
A Village Fair
1668/70
Villagers are playing music, dancing and drinking at a tavern. Two lovers have gone off behind the gate on the right for an intimate moment together, unaware that a woman is crouching to relieve herself at their feet. Left, a man is stumbling home, too drunk to walk alone. Jan Steen painted this disordered scene while he was living in Haarlem in the 1660s. It was intended as an amusing warning to his audience not to indulge in immoral behaviour. A gentle admonition.
Creator
Jan Steen (Leiden 1626 – Leiden 1679)
Title
A Village Fair
Date
1668/70
Collection
Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem
Material
Canvas