Orator at a window
Speaker at a window is a painting by the Dutch painter Jan Steen from around 1663/1665 . The technique is oil on canvas and the dimensions are 74 × 59 cm. It is located in the Philadelphia Museum of Art .
Steen used the Rederijker motif in many of his paintings. His works include depictions of Rederijker appearances as well as interior depictions of the Rederijker accommodations. In the course of time the title changed from The Four Rederijker to Speakers at a Window , so that the identity of the portrayed has been lost. The four figures in the foreground represent members of a Chamber of rhetoric is -Gilde. With Chamber of rhetoric companies formed are meant for amateurs, had the dramatic and literary ambitions.
description
In the center of the picture is a group of four figures standing in front of a window. On the left you can see the proclamator (speaker). Behind him is the factor (poet). On the right, the momus (critic) rests his head on his hand. Behind him the fool smiles at the viewer. It is the only figure that makes contact with the viewer. The fool's physiognomy bears a strong resemblance to Jan Steen's self-portrait, it is believed that Steen depicted himself here. In the dark background there are two other people: a man drinking on the left and a man smoking on the right.
Jan Steen uses a variation on theatrical elements for his representation:
- The element of the curtain can be found as an abstract representation in the form of vine leaves.
- The clothing is based on theatrical costumes.
- Gestures and facial expressions are inspired by theater performances.
Significance for art history
Jan Steen's presentation gives an insight into the life of the Rederijkers and their way of working.
It has not been proven with certainty whether it is a satire of the Rederijkers or whether Jan Steen wanted to show his appreciation for them.
literature
- Mariet Westermann: The amusement of Jan Steen. Zwolle 1997.
- Albert Heppner: Theater of the Rederijkers in the Work of Jan Steen and His Contemporaries. In: Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Volume 3 No. 1/2 (1939/1940), pages 22-48.
- Wouter Kloek, Norbert Middelkoop (Ed.): The Golden Age of Dutch Art. Seventeenth century paintings from the Rijksmuseum and Australian collections. Catalog for the Art Gallery of Western Australia exhibition from October 23, 1997 to January 11, 1998. Perth (Australia) 1997.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Speaker at a Window , Philadelphia Museum of Art website