Artwork
A couple drinking
A couple drinking is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Steen. It dates from 1669 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Jan Steen’s 1669 oil painting, titled *A Couple Drinking*, depicts an intimate domestic scene. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the Dutch genre tradition of portraying everyday life with a touch of narrative intrigue.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas presents a man and a woman seated close together. The woman, dressed in a dark gown with a white cap, holds a small object, while the man, distinguished by his fair hair and white collar, raises a glass. A red cloth drapes a nearby chair, and a golden cup rests on a modest side table, suggesting a moment of shared leisure.
Technique & Style
Steen employs pronounced chiaroscuro, allowing the illuminated faces and hands to emerge from a deep, shadowed background. The contrast between the bright white of the woman’s cap and the man’s collar against the surrounding darkness creates a focal point that guides the viewer’s eye to the central figures.
History & Provenance
Created in the late Dutch Golden Age, the painting entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings as part of its extensive Dutch genre collection. Its provenance traces back to the artist’s workshop, reflecting the period’s market for intimate, narrative-driven works intended for private enjoyment.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Havickszoon Steen was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century.
Paintings of physicians by Jan Steen
The Dissolute Household
Merry Company on a Terrace
Esther, Ahasuerus, and Haman
Interior of an inn with an old man amusing himself with the landlady and two men playing backgammon, known as 'Two kinds of games'
The Drunken Couple
The Happy Family
Bathsheba after the Bath
