The Point-Counterpoint of Jan Steen

During the 17th century, Dutch literary genre film flourished, likeable to middle class patrons by word-painting everyday lifespan with charm and often a moral. Jan Steen was among the most successful genre painters, weaving witty rendering into his pictures of merriment. Rhetoricians at a Window, c. 1661-1666 (oil on canvas, 29 7/8 x 23 1/16 inches) responds as an exemplar, depicting a naturalistic sight combined with layers of meaning. Even the gloss may be film on many levels. dependable as a rhetorician may refer to an fluid speaker, so, too, may it allude to a pompous or great(p) person. Rhetorician also conjures up the notion of rhetoric, or the feign of making a coaxing argument based on a point and differ structure. This painting cleverly provides some(prenominal) layers of point- differ arguments revealed through visual analysis, alert reading of physiognomy of the figures, and assessing the establishment as a whole, including how it engages the viewer. \ nVisually, Steen presents a naturalistic scene mickle in a tap house or inn, believable in its details. Four prominent figures are easily readable, not cartoonish or types, but portrayed with individualistic features. Two more dumb figures emerge from the background. The four figures up front are swan in in a windowpane that fills the upper 2/3 of the painting, pushed forward in change space to the picture plane. The status is identifiable as a public place where imbibing is served by the prominent, diamond-shaped sign, nailed to the window frame just off center, suspension in the lower third gear of the painting. The sign features crossed swords, leafy vegetable symbols for power, protection, justice, courage, and strength. Here, the crossed swords also serve as an apt parable for the crossed arguments of the point and counterpoint of rhetoric. Across the top of the painting is a swag of grapevine, with a plunk of grapes just remunerate of center and another bunch on the far left, as the vine tumbles down the left ...