Artwork

As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young

As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young, by Jacob Jordaens, oil, 1638
As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young, by Jacob Jordaens, oil, 1638

As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jacob Jordaens. It dates from 1638 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

About this work

It is an oil‑on‑canvas work that belongs to a series Jordaens made around a Dutch proverb about the influence of elders on youth.

The painting titled *As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young* was created by the Flemish artist Jacob Jordaens in 1638. It is an oil‑on‑canvas work that belongs to a series Jordaens made around a Dutch proverb about the influence of elders on youth.

This version is the earliest of several paintings Jordaens produced with that title. A later companion piece can be found in Valenciennes, showing how the artist revisited the same theme.

museum: Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp

Overview

Jacob Jordaens's oil-on-canvas painting 'As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young' dates to 1638-1640. It is the earliest of several works the Flemish artist created on this theme.

Subject & Meaning

The painting illustrates a Dutch proverb, suggesting that the behavior of young people is influenced by that of their elders. The work is part of a series exploring this idea.

History & Provenance

The painting is now held in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. Jordaens revisited the theme in later works, one of which is in Valenciennes.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Jacob Jordaens

Artist

Jacob Jordaens

Jacques (Jacob) Jordaens (19 May 1593 – 18 October 1678) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and a designer of tapestries and prints.