The Point-Counterpoint of Jan Steen

During the 17th century, Dutch musical genre painting flourished, appealing to middle(a)field class patrons by word picture everyday life with transport and often a moral. Jan Steen was among the closely successful genre painters, interweave witty commentary into his pictures of merriment. speechmakers at a Window, c. 1661-1666 (oil on canvas, 29 7/8 x 23 1/16 inches) serves as an exemplar, depicting a representational scene have with layers of meaning. Even the title whitethorn be read on many levels. Just as a rhetorician whitethorn refer to an eloquent speaker, so, too, may it allude to a pontifical or bombastic person. Rhetorician also conjures up the caprice of rhetoric, or the act of qualification a persuasive short letter based on a point and counterpoint structure. This painting cleverly provides several layers of point-counterpoint arguments revealed through visual analysis, careful learning of physiognomy of the figures, and assessing the composition as a whole, including how it engages the viewer.\nVisually, Steen presents a naturalistic scene set in a tavern or inn, believable in its details. tetrad prominent figures are well readable, not cartoonish or types, exactly portrayed with individualistic features. deuce more shadowy figures put out from the background. The four figures up bird-scarer are framed in a window that fills the pep pill 2/3 of the painting, pushed preceding in shallow station to the picture plane. The location is acknowledgeable as a man place where drink is served by the prominent, diamond-shaped signal, nailed to the window frame effective off center, hanging in the lower third of the painting. The sign features cover swords, common symbols for power, protection, justice, courage, and strength. Here, the cut across swords also serve as an apt emblem for the crossed arguments of the point and counterpoint of rhetoric. crossways the top of the painting is a swag of grapevine, with a mountain of grapes just right of center and another bunch on the far left, as the vine tumbles coldcock the left ...