Book Description

Jan Steen, the quintessential seventeenth-century Dutch painter, set himself apart from other painters with an astonishing range of brushwork skills and diversity of themes and genres. This lavishly illustrated book shows Steen`s consummate skill as painter and storyteller, reassesses the artist in the context of his times, and presents the most comprehensive biographical profile of Steen yet published. ... Read more

Book Description

In this fascinating exploration of Jan Steen's The Drawing Lesson, John Walsh offers an explanation of the individual parts and larger patterns of the work, allowing us to see how each prop and pose contributes to the larger theme--the art of painting and the education of the artist. He also recounts Steen's career and the history of the picture itself, presenting, in sum, not only an examination of a fine painting but also a lesson in how to look at and "read" a complex work of art. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Anachronistic connoisseurship
Art historical scholarship has undergone a profound revolution in the past 25 years, but you would never know it from this tedious monograph. Walsh writes reasonably well, but without passion. The greater flaw, however, is the abscence of the kinds of histortical, political, social, or other insights that would provide a context for understanding the larger significance of Steen's work. Instead, one is left with a journeyman quality academic tome. ... Read more