Interior of an inn with an old man amusing himself with the landlady and two men playing backgammon, known as ‘Two kinds of games’ 1660s - 1670s

Jan Steen’s painting presents a scene from the 17th century, capturing the interior of a boisterous inn using oil on canvas. The composition is alive with a theatrical quality where figures are arranged in a tightly packed space, their gestures and expressions amplified by the low vantage point. Observe how Steen employs a rich palette of browns and muted greens to create a sense of depth and shadow, drawing attention to the human drama unfolding. The diagonal lines of the floorboards and the overturned chair lead our eye through the composition, destabilizing any sense of classical harmony. Steen masterfully uses the inn as a microcosm of society, reflecting the structural tensions between desire and decorum, wealth and poverty. The painting challenges the period's social values by highlighting the moral ambiguities of daily life, and invites us to reflect on the fluid and often contradictory nature of human behavior.