Jan Steen

Born around 1626, Jan Havickszoon Steen became one of the leading genre painters of the Dutch Golden Age, working through the century's middle decades. He turned his brush on everyday life with a sharp eye: his canvases crowded with psychological detail, color, and a humor that cut both ways. The scenes mocked the behavior and attitudes of the Dutch bourgeoisie even as they delighted them. He was buried on February 3, 1679, leaving behind a body of work that refused to flatter its subjects.