Artwork
Smoker
Smoker is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Steen. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Smoker is an oil painting by Jan Steen, created around 1650. It is a genre scene held at the State Hermitage Museum.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a man sitting on a bench, smoking a pipe, lost in thought. Two figures are visible in the background, but the smoker is the main focus. The atmosphere is one of quiet contemplation, with the man's downward gaze adding to the sense of introspection.
Technique & Style
The use of chiaroscuro in the painting creates depth and dimension, drawing the viewer's eye to the smoker. This technique highlights the contrast between light and dark, adding to the overall effect of the scene.
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
