Jan Steen (Leiden 1626-Leiden 1679)
Scene in a Brothel with an Old Man Giving Money to a Girl c.1660-65
Oil on panel | 53.2 x 44.4 cm (support, canvas/panel/stretcher external) | RCIN 406608
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This typical scene of ‘mercenary love’ shows a young courtesan with a coin in her hand; wine jug and glass by her bed, her bodice unlaced; her over-dress slipping down; offering her naked leg to an old man, while her procuress grins behind. The three-figure, low-relief composition, with fine silks emerging from a dark background, shows the influence of Terborch and dates from the early 1660s. Signed lower right: JSteen'
Provenance
Acquired by George IV in 1815; recorded in the Middle Room upper floor at Carlton House in 1819 (no 168)
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Medium and techniques
Oil on panel
Measurements
53.2 x 44.4 cm (support, canvas/panel/stretcher external)
79.7 x 73.5 x 6.7 cm (frame, external)
Category
Object type(s)
Other number(s)
Alternative title(s)
The Courtesan
