DOI Kapitel:
Jan Steen
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62823#0022
Xvi JAN STEEN.
position of the pupil procured him the esteem of his
master, Van Goyen, and also won the affections of his
daughter, whom he married. Thus was cemented a
friendship between the artists, which evidently con-
tinued through life; as he appears to have taken a
pleasure in representing his father-in-law in his pic-
tures, as a guest at the social board, or ' merry meeting,
at which he himself was always present, as were fre-
quently his wife and children.
His father, perceiving but little prospect of pecuniary
gain to be derived from the pursuit of a profession, the
chief reward of which was honour, established his son
in a brewery at Delst; but the gaiety of Jan’s dispo-
sition led him incessantly into company ; neglect of his
business and extravagance of expenditure soon ended
in bankruptcy. By the assistance of his family, he
was enabled shortly after to open a public house in the
same town ; but this line of business only served to
increase the evil which had caused his former failure,
as it gave him a ready opportunity of indulging his
own propensity, and at the same time of ministering to
those of his quondam associates. Whole days and
nights were frequently spent in drinking and ca-
rousing ; thus was consumed by himself and worthless
painter must^be judged—most of these being merely finished
studies or practical lessons, done from nature for his scholars. The
full extent of his genius can be only rightly appreciated by his
finished pictures, which are of rare occurrence ; of this class there
are two in the collection of Lord Wharncliffe, which for masterly
execution, rich empasto of colour, and force and brilliancy os effect,
are but little, if any thing, inferior to the landscapes of Rembrandt.
position of the pupil procured him the esteem of his
master, Van Goyen, and also won the affections of his
daughter, whom he married. Thus was cemented a
friendship between the artists, which evidently con-
tinued through life; as he appears to have taken a
pleasure in representing his father-in-law in his pic-
tures, as a guest at the social board, or ' merry meeting,
at which he himself was always present, as were fre-
quently his wife and children.
His father, perceiving but little prospect of pecuniary
gain to be derived from the pursuit of a profession, the
chief reward of which was honour, established his son
in a brewery at Delst; but the gaiety of Jan’s dispo-
sition led him incessantly into company ; neglect of his
business and extravagance of expenditure soon ended
in bankruptcy. By the assistance of his family, he
was enabled shortly after to open a public house in the
same town ; but this line of business only served to
increase the evil which had caused his former failure,
as it gave him a ready opportunity of indulging his
own propensity, and at the same time of ministering to
those of his quondam associates. Whole days and
nights were frequently spent in drinking and ca-
rousing ; thus was consumed by himself and worthless
painter must^be judged—most of these being merely finished
studies or practical lessons, done from nature for his scholars. The
full extent of his genius can be only rightly appreciated by his
finished pictures, which are of rare occurrence ; of this class there
are two in the collection of Lord Wharncliffe, which for masterly
execution, rich empasto of colour, and force and brilliancy os effect,
are but little, if any thing, inferior to the landscapes of Rembrandt.