The Naughty Bits: Where to find symbolism in Dutch paintings

Broken pots on the ground could symbolise chaos and disorder.

Find out more about the original painting:
A Village Revel
1673
Jan Steen

This man is smoking a pipe and drinking beer. It seems he drank too much as he doesn’t care about the mess around him.

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Merrymaking in a Tavern with a Couple dancing
c.1670
Jan Steen

The eggshells are featured because eggs are used to make waffles which are on the plate next to them, but they may also symbolise that life is fragile.

Find out more about the original painting:
A Twelfth Night Feast : 'The King drinks'
c.1661
Jan Steen

A pile of this man’s clothes lie next to him. It’s part of the game he’s been playing with his friends and he is clearly losing...

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The Game of 'Lady, come into the Garden'
Late 1660's
Godfried Schalcken

The stick held by this boy is used for playing Kolf, an older version of ice hockey played in the Netherlands.

Find out more about the original painting:
A Twelfth Night Feast : 'The King drinks'
c.1661
Jan Steen

These two cheeky boys are helping themselves to apples while a merry friar empties his flask.

Find out more about the original painting:
A Village Revel
1673
Jan Steen

A dog eating from a pan left unattended on the floor is unhygienic, and suggests that this family is very lazy.

Find out more about the original painting:
A Twelfth Night Feast : 'The King drinks'
c.1661
Jan Steen

This girl is about to jump over three burning candles. It is part of a game in which the candles symbolise the Three Kings.

Find out more about the original painting:
A Twelfth Night Feast : 'The King drinks'
c.1661
Jan Steen

Look closely! This older woman has a few buttons undone. Maybe she has been eating too many waffles?

Find out more about the original painting:
An elderly Couple in an Arbour
c.1670
Adriean van Ostade

Playing music, dancing, eating and drinking were all enjoyed as part of festivals and celebrations.

Find out more about the original painting:
Merrymaking in a Tavern with a Couple dancing
c.1670
Jan Steen

This man grinning broadly is the artist who painted this picture. He waves a ham hock to remind us not to take this scene too seriously.

Find out more about the original painting:
A Village Revel
1673
Jan Steen

During festivals and entertainments the adults feasted on food and wine, while children often went from door to door singing songs.

Find out more about the original painting:
A Twelfth Night Feast : 'The King drinks'
c.1661
Jan Steen

These two may look innocent, but drinking wine was not encouraged in Holland at that time.

Find out more about the original painting:
A Gentleman pressing a Lady to drink
c. 1658-9
Gerard ter Borch

This man is going to the toilet in the street! The dog watching him could be there to show us he is behaving worse than an animal.
Did you know…… 200 years later someone hid what he was doing by painting a bush in front of him because it was thought far too rude.

Find out more about the original painting:
A Village Fair, with a Church behind
1643
Isack van Ostade

Look at this composition and try to spot different kinds of bad behaviour. Did artists paint this to make us laugh or to teach us how to behave properly?
Nobody knows for sure so what do you think?

Explore

Look at all these people. They are all taken from different paintings in the exhibtion. We put them together to build this extraordinary scene of joy, laughter and mischief.