Jan Steen

Jan Steen was born around 1626 in Leiden, Netherlands.¹

Born around 1626 in Leiden to a well-to-do Catholic family of brewers who ran the tavern 'The Red Halbert,' a background that influenced his lively depictions of daily life.²

Jan Steen co-founded the painters' Guild of Saint Luke in Leiden with Gabriël Metsu in 1648.¹

In 1648, he co-founded the Guild of Saint Luke in Leiden with Gabriël Metsu, establishing a leading role in the local art scene and eventually becoming its president in 1674.²

In 1649, Jan Steen married Margriet, the daughter of his teacher Jan van Goyen, and they had eight children.¹

In his 'Doctor's Visit' series, he used anachronistic 16th-century theatrical costumes for doctors to signal that the scenes were parodies rather than realistic portrayals of contemporary life.²

Alongside painting, he ran a brewery in Delft and opened a tavern during the 'Year of Disaster' in 1672 when the art market collapsed, experiences that informed his lively character portrayals.²

After the collapse of the art market in 1672, known as the Year of Disaster, Jan Steen opened a tavern.¹

FebJan Steen was buried on February 3, 1679, at the age of 52–53 in Leiden.¹