Jan Steen, 'The Interior of an Inn ('The Broken Eggs')', about 1665-70

The Interior of an Inn ('The Broken Eggs')

Jan Steen

Not on display

About the work

Overview

A young lad dips his finger into something delicious in the background of this raucous picture – probably something forbidden, since he hides what he’s doing. The actions and expressions of the men also imply the tasting of forbidden fruits denied them by the young woman. She shoves away the hand of the laughing man who lifts her skirt, while the figure in the red cap tamps tobacco into his pipe with a suggestive finger. Another man sniffs appreciatively at an open wine jug while gazing at the woman.

Steen has sprinkled this comic moral tale with symbols: the handle of the frying pan, a phallic symbol, pointing towards the three men; the mussels, a well-known aphrodisiac; the broken eggs, usually a sign of loss of virtue but in this case possibly representing the men’s ambitions towards the woman. But Steen mocks himself too: he’s portrayed himself here as the laughing man.

In-depth

‘As the old sing, so pipe the young.’ Jan Steen often used this motto, which means that children learn by example, as a theme for his paintings. And in the background of this raucous picture of the interior of an inn, a young lad, his back to us, dips his finger into something delicious – probably something forbidden since he hides what he’s doing.

The actions and expressions of the men also imply the tasting of forbidden fruits denied them by the young woman in the brown dress. Her hand protects her breasts and her bodice is tightly buttoned. She shoves away the invasive and uninvited hand of the laughing man beside her, who lifts her skirt while the figure in the red cap tamps tobacco into his pipe with a suggestive finger. Behind him another man sniffs appreciatively at an open wine jug while gazing at the woman.

Steen has sprinkled this comic moral tale with erotic symbols: the handle of the frying pan, a phallic symbol, pointing suggestively towards the men; open mussels, a well-known aphrodisiac; the open bung of the barrel and the stick waiting to enter it. The broken eggshells were said to speak of lost virtue, although in this case they might stand for the thwarted desires of the men rather than the moral status of the woman. Her collar is clean and sparkling white, her hair neat – this is the respectable landlady of the inn, not one of Steen’s smiling, happily rumpled and complicit young women joining in the rowdy joke. For joke it is, however it might appear today.

Steen found a market for bawdy, ’slice of life‘ pictures and painted them possibly in their dozens, but always with humour, wit and parody – especially self-parody. As in many of his paintings, Steen shows himself – the laughing man – red-faced, drunk and delighted at his own idea of a joke, but displaying himself as an object of mockery. This isn’t a self portrait in the true meaning of the word, however. His features and perhaps something of his personality are there, but he’s assuming a character, as are all the other figures in the picture. Steen owned and ran a pub as well as being an artist and it’s likely that he brought in friends to model for him. It’s as if he’s painting a scene from a comic play or a book. Whether he acted himself or not we don't know, but we do know that he liked the theatre and literature.

Painted towards the end of Steen’s life, the background is less distinct and full of detail than his earlier work, but it still has the robust life, energy and humour the artist is famous for.

Key facts

Details

Full title: The Interior of an Inn ('The Broken Eggs')
Artist: Jan Steen
Artist dates: 1626 - 1679
Date made: about 1665-70
Medium and support: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 43.3 × 38.1 cm
Inscription summary: Signed
Acquisition credit: Bequeathed by Sir Otto Beit, 1941
Inventory number: NG5637
Location: Not on display
Collection: Main Collection
Previous owners: Edmund Higginson

Provenance

It has been identified with a picture in the Ewout van Dishoek sale, The Hague, 9 sqq. June 1745 (lot 77) but this was probably a different composition. According to Smith it was in a sale in Paris in 1825, bought for 1,410 francs. It was in the collection of E. de Boursault, Paris, by 1833; it is in the catalogue of the Boursault sale, Paris, 7 sqq. May 1832 (lot 51), but according to Smith it was purchased with the Boursault collection by Henry Artaria for Edmund Higginson, in whose collection at Saltmarsh Castle it was certainly by 1841. Edmund Higginson sale, London, 4–6 June 1846 (lot 198), bought in (170 gns); Edmund Higginson sale, London, 16 June 1860 (lot 29), bought by W. S. King (137 gns). In the collection of Joseph Bond by 1864, when it was exhibited at the BI; [Joseph Bond] sale, London, 2 May 1874 (lot 102), bought by Lord Powerscourt (£105); [Viscount Powerscourt] sale, London, 29 June 1878 (lot 72), bought in (98 gns). It was later in the possession of R. Langton Douglas; said to have been in the collection of Alfred Beit (died 1906) and certainly in the collection of his brother (Sir) Otto Beit (Bart.) by 1909 when it was lent to the Steen Exhibition at Dowdeswell Galleries; Sir Otto Beit Bequest, 1941.

Additional information

Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Neil MacLaren, revised and expanded by Christopher Brown, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School: 1600–1900’, London 1991; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.

Exhibition history

2009

Kienholz: The Hoerengracht

The National Gallery (London)

18 November 2009 - 21 February 2010
2023

Masterpieces from the National Gallery

Shanghai Art Museum East

17 January 2023 - 7 May 2023

National Museum of Korea

2 June 2023 - 9 October 2023

Hong Kong Palace Museum

22 November 2023 - 11 April 2024

Chimei Museum

2 May 2024 - 1 September 2024

Bibliography

1830

J. Smith, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French Painters: In Which is Included a Short Biographical Notice of the Artists, with a Copious Description of Their Principal Pictures […], vol. 2, London 1830
1841

H. Artaria, A Description of the Collection of Edmund Higginson, Esq. of Saltmarshe Castle, London 1841
1846

Christie & Manson, Catalogue of the Very Important Collection of Pictures, the Property of Edmund Higginson Esq. of Saltmarshe, Herefordshire, London, 4 June 1846 - 6 June 1846
1856

T. van Westrheene, Jan Steen, La Haye 1856
1904

W. von Bode, 'Neue Gemälde von Rubens in der Berliner Galerie', Jahrbuch der Königlich Preussischen Kunstsammlungen, XXV/2, 1904, pp. 102-7
1907

C. Hofstede de Groot, Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the Seventeenth Century, 10 vols, London 1907
1926

A. Bredius, Jan Steen (exh. cat. Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal, 16 June - 31 August 1926), Leiden 1926
1960

Maclaren, Neil, National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School, 2 vols, London 1960
1980

K. Braun, Alle tot nu toe bekend schilderijen van Jan Steen, Rotterdam 1980
1991

Maclaren, Neil, revised by Christopher Brown, National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School, 1600-1900, 2nd edn (revised and expanded), 2 vols, London 1991
1993

A.J. Adams et al., Lese Lust: Niederländische Malerei von Rembrandt bis Vermeer (exh. cat. Schirn Kunsthalle, 24 September 1993 - 2 January 1994), Frankfurt am Main 1993
1999

National Gallery, Great Dutch Paintings (exh. cat. Southampton City Art Gallery, 16 April - 13 June 1999; Leeds City Art Gallery, 23 June - 29 August 1999), London 1999
2001

C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001

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.

Images

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This scene of two men and a woman making music is not a representation of everyday life. Positioned on a wide terrace overlooking an impressive formal garden, the figures don’t quite seem to belong in their surroundings. The men sit on either side of the singing woman, one holding a glass of wine...

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This grisaille work (painted in shades of black, white and grey) is a copy of a picture by Jan Steen known as ‘Old Wooer, Young Maid’. It’s a more appropriate title, emphasising that the man is probably making advances to the younger of the two women, who turns towards him.The flute protruding fr...

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You've viewed 6 of 10 works

Jan Steen, 'The Interior of an Inn ('The Broken Eggs')', about 1665-70

About the work

Overview

In-depth

Key facts

Details

Provenance

Additional information

Source

Exhibition history

Bibliography

About this record

Images

More works by Jan Steen