Jan Steen: The Feast of Saint Nicholas (1667-1668)


(Catherijnenconvent, Utrecht, The Netherlands)

A painting by the Dutch artist Jan Havicksz. Steen (1626-1679). In the Netherlands people celebrate the feast of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children, on the evening of the 5th of December. Young children get presents if they were good that year but if they were bad they would get a piece of coal or the 'roe' (a birch rod). Jan Steen painted the feast of saint Nicolas twice. The most famous version is in the rijksmuseum and is the catholic version this one is the protestant version. Main difference is the present of young girl in the center. On the catholic version she has a miniature version of the saint John the Bapist. In this version she has received a large piece of bread. The boy on the left was apparently bad this year because he received the 'roe'. Grandmother however is calling him because she has a coin for him. Painting from 1667-1668.

The catholic version: The Feast of Saint Nicholas (1665-1668)