The Feast of St. Nicholas by Jan Steen is a true domestic scene from the life of burghers

The Feast of St. Nicholas is a painting by the brilliant genre painter Jan Steen, created between 1665 and 1668. The canvas tells eloquently about a family event. For centuries, children were given gifts in December if the children were obedient all year.

The long-awaited day has come. The whole large family is assembled. The figures of people are located in space in such a way that there is a feeling of movement, joyful excitement. Dynamics is achieved through rhythmically built verticals and horizontals. In the center of the composition are a mother and a little daughter holding a doll and a bucket.

Other members of the family are placed behind the figures of the central heroines. Behind the girl on the left is a frustrated boy. Perhaps he was not so obedient, which is why he found a birch rod in his boot. But the grandmother, placed in the farthest part of the picture, smiling, beckons the naughty to her. Behind the curtain there is a gift for him.

In the background on the right, a teenager in a wide-brimmed hat holds a baby in his arms and points him to the place where, according to the Christmas legend, St. Nicholas entered the house with gifts for the children. The author paid great attention to details. On the bread basket, placed in the foreground, the pattern of its weaving is clearly visible to the audience. Particularly impressive is the large diamond-shaped bakery product leaning against the table.

Masterfully, the artist conveyed the gestures of people, the jubilant expressions of children’s faces, the calm joy of adults. Creating a picture, the painter used warm shades of pink, beige, salmon red, pale yellow, light gray and blue-green colors.

Name of the painting: “The Feast of St. Nicholas”.
Author: Jan Steen (1626-1679).
Year of writing: circa 1665-1668
Size: 82 x 70.5 cm.
Style: Baroque.
Genre: Household.
Technique: Oil painting.
Material: Canvas.
Location: State Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Jan Steen is a stunning Dutch painter of the 17th century.

His works are distinguished by wit, liveliness and simplicity. The artist painted single and group portraits, genre scenes from the life of inns and peasant families. The heroes of the works were, as a rule, the middle strata of the population. The creative heritage of the genius consists of almost 400 works, among which there are also biblical scenes.

Grotesque and satirical images, created by the master, deeply entered the folk culture and survived their time. The masterpieces he painted in recent years anticipated the Rococo style of the 18th century.

Looking closely at the picture, you can see interesting details that tell about the culture of that time. On the right side of the masterpiece on the table, where, among other treats, lies an apple with a coin stuck in it. This is a tribute to an ancient tradition. In many Dutch houses, small change money is still hidden in apples with that.

The painting captures another interesting historical moment: a baby in the hands of a young man holds a gingerbread in the shape of a funny little man. This is a holiday symbolism common among Catholics. It is worth noting that in the 17th century, according to the requirements of the Protestant authorities, baking figures of St. Nicholas was prohibited in many Dutch cities.

For a long time, the pictorial masterpiece was owned by private individuals. And only in 1809 the work was bought by the Rijksmuseum. Since then, a brilliant story has become available to the general public.

The painting “The Feast of St. Nicholas” by Jan Steen is imbued with deep truthfulness, sincerity and good nature. This lovingly written work demonstrates the calm and comfort of family life.