Steen, Jan, “Couple in a bedchamber”

Steen, Jan, “Couple in a bedchamber”

Leiden 1625/26 – 1679

Couple in a bedchamber

Panel
49 x 39,5 cm
Inv.nr. 113-1946, Cat. nr.158

Here an old(?) man with a red nose peeks under the skirt of a not unwilling young woman. We are looking at a brothel-scene here: the red clothing of the woman makes it likely that she is a prostitute. The pipe leaning against the chamberpot also points in this direction: ‘cleaning one’s pipe’ is an old eufemism for visting a brothel.
The liquor bottle and the man’s red nose are an indication of excessive drinking. The brazier, the slippers and the stockings serve as sexual allusions.

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