Smith, John: A catalogue raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French painters: in which is included a short biographical notice of the artists, with a copious description of their principal pictures : a statement of the prices at which such pictures have been sold at public sales on the continent and in England; a reference the the galleries and private collections in which a large portion are at present; and the names of the artists by whom they have been engraved; to which is added, a brief notice of the scholars & imitators of the great masters of the above schools (Part 4) (London: Smith and Son, 1833)

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SCHOLARS AND IMITATORS
OF
JAN STEEN.

The fertility of invention, truth of expression, harmony
of colouring, and dexterous execution exhibited throughout
the works of Jan Steen, have placed them beyond the reach of
successful imitation, or even deceptive copying.
One of his most successful imitators was Reynier Bracken-
burg, a native of Haerlem, born in the year 1649- He painted
humorous subjects, which have sufficient of the style of Jan
Steen, to induce a supposition that he learnt his art of that
master, under whose name some of his best pictures have
been sold. There is, however, in the works of Brackenburg, a
prevalence of dark colours, so different in their tints to those of
Jan Steen, that, had they needed no other distinction, those
alone would have been sufficient to discriminate them. They
are, however, greatly deficient in every other quality.
Mins Nicholas Molinaer was a good painter of the feast-
ings and mirthful revels of his countrymen, and, like Jan Steen,
he infused in his pictures abundance of broad humour and
characteristic expression. The style of the two masters is in
every other respect so dissimilar, that a very slight acquaintance
with their works will enable the careful observer to distinguish
them. Molinaer was born at Amsterdam, in 1627.