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Jan Steen, 'An Interior with a Man offering an Oyster to a Woman', probably 1660-5

About the work

Overview

Centre stage, against a shadowy, mostly black-and-white background, the bright red jacket inevitably draws our eye to the young woman. She leans back – rather immodestly, a glass of wine held in her lap, knees apart, one foot up on a box – and smiles directly up at the man offering her an oyster.

This not a polite gesture of thanks for the offer of a canapé to go with her wine. In seventeenth-century Holland, the connotations would have been understood immediately. Oysters were regarded as both an aphrodisiac and a reference to female sexuality: the man’s offer is an erotic advance.

Other clues confirm the interpretation. The cat is a traditional symbol of lust, there is a curtained bed in the background and the table is supported by carvings of naked women, draped with garlands. The setting is a brothel – the woman works there.

Key facts

Details

Full title
An Interior with a Man offering an Oyster to a Woman
Artist
Jan Steen
Artist dates
1626 - 1679
Date made
probably 1660-5
Medium and support
oil on wood
Dimensions
38.1 × 31.5 cm
Inscription summary
Signed
Acquisition credit
Salting Bequest, 1910
Inventory number
NG2559
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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