The Drawing Lesson 1665

jansteen

gouache

figurative

possibly oil pastel

oil painting

acrylic on canvas

underpainting

painterly

painting painterly

portrait art

watercolor

warm toned green

"The Drawing Lesson", painted in 1665 by Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Steen, depicts a scene of a drawing lesson in a cluttered studio. An older woman, possibly the teacher, instructs a young woman in the art of drawing. The scene is filled with details typical of Steen's genre painting: a boy gazing at a statue, a lute discarded on the floor, and various objects hanging from the ceiling. The painting's realistic and humorous depiction of daily life in 17th-century Holland made it a popular work, showcasing Steen's mastery of light and shadow, color, and composition.