Artwork
The Christening
The Christening is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Steen. It dates from 1663 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work represents not merely a religious rite but a social occasion, inviting reflection on the interplay between sacred tradition and worldly festivity.
The painting depicts a domestic christening celebration, a genre scene centered on the ritual of infant baptism within a household setting. A woman tends to an infant near a bassinet, while other figures, including a child and a dog, populate the lively interior. The inclusion of a Peeckelhaering, a merry reveler figure associated with festive, sometimes rowdy Dutch customs, signals Steen's characteristic blend of domestic ritual with hints of moralizing humor.
The meal, baby bumper, and leading strings anchor the scene in the material culture of seventeenth-century Dutch family life. The work represents not merely a religious rite but a social occasion, inviting reflection on the interplay between sacred tradition and worldly festivity.
Technique & Style
The Christening is an oil painting on canvas, executed in 1663 by Jan Steen. The work measures 83 cm in height by 99 cm in width. Its genre-scene classification reflects Steen's characteristic handling of lively domestic subject matter, populated here with figures including a woman, an infant, a child, a dog, and a bassinet, alongside details such as a meal, leading strings, and a baby bumper.
The inclusion of the figure known as Peeckelhaering, the merry reveler, points to the artist's recurring use of stock comic types drawn from Dutch theater tradition.
History & Provenance
Jan Steen created the oil-on-canvas painting The Christening in 1663. The work depicts a domestic scene featuring a woman, an infant, and various household items including a dog and a bassinet. Historical records trace the ownership of the painting through a notable chain of collectors.
It was previously held by Henry Hope and his relative Jan Hope, before passing to the dealer Jan Bisschop. The work subsequently entered the collection of Francis Pelham-Clinton-Hope, the 8th Duke of Newcastle. The painting is currently housed in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
The provided sources do not contain specific inventory numbers or a list of public exhibitions for this artwork.
Overview
Jan Steen's 1663 oil painting, The Christening, captures a bustling domestic scene, characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age genre tradition. This work portrays a crowded interior filled with various figures, including the recognizable character Peeckelhaering, alongside elements like a baby's bassinet and a protective "baby bumper." The painting is currently housed in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Havickszoon Steen was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century.
Paintings of physicians by Jan Steen
The Dissolute Household
Merry Company on a Terrace
Esther, Ahasuerus, and Haman
Interior of an inn with an old man amusing himself with the landlady and two men playing backgammon, known as 'Two kinds of games'
The Drunken Couple
The Happy Family
Bathsheba after the Bath
