Wealthis Looking,or,In Luxury Look Out
c. 1663-1665 Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
About this artwork
This chaotic domestic scene, characteristic of Jan Steen's work, depicts a household in disarray with various figures indulging in activities often associated with idleness and excess. The painting serves as a moralizing commentary on the consequences of luxury and negligence in everyday life.
Did you know?
Jan Steen's lively and often disorderly genre scenes were so popular in the Dutch Golden Age that the phrase 'a Jan Steen household' became a common idiom for a messy home. This painting, with its depiction of a seemingly comfortable but chaotic environment, is a prime example of how Steen subtly wove moralizing messages into his humorous and detailed portrayals of everyday life.
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Wealthis Looking,or,In Luxury Look Out
Jan Steen, c. 1663-1665
