Children Teaching a Cat to Dance, Known as The Dancing Lesson

Jan Havicksz. Steen, 1660 - 1679

These children are up to mischief: they are teaching a cat to dance to the music of a small shawm. Widely used between the 15th and 17th centuries, the shawm was the predecessor of the oboe. Mostly played in dance and ceremonial music, shawms were appreciated for their loud tone.

Artwork typepainting
Object numberSK-A-718
Dimensionsheight 68.5 cm x width 59 cm
Physical characteristicsoil on panel

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Interior of an inn with an old man amusing himself with the landlady and two men playing backgammon, known as 'Two kinds of games'

Jan Havicksz. Steen (mentioned on object), 1660 - 1679

Identification

Title(s)
- Children Teaching a Cat to Dance, Known as The Dancing Lesson
- Children teaching a cat to dance, known as 'The dancing lesson'
Object type
Object number
SK-A-718
Description
Een groep kinderen probeert een kat te laten dansen; een voorstelling bekend als 'De dansles'. De kinderen zitten rond een tafel, een meisje speelt op een schalmei, de hond blaft. Boven kijkt een man door een raampje toe, rechts hangt een luit aan de muur.
Inscriptions / marks
signature: ‘JSteen’

Creation

Creation
painter: Jan Havicksz. Steen
Dating
1660 - 1679
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Material and technique

Physical description
oil on panel
Dimensions
height 68.5 cm x width 59 cm

This work is about

Subject

Acquisition and rights

Credit line
Jonkheer J.S.H. van de Poll Bequest, Amsterdam
Acquisition
bequest 1880
Copyright
Public domain

Documentation

- Giovanni Paolo Di Stefano, 'The Rijksmuseum to acquire and display the Han De Vries collection of oboes', CIMCIM Bulletin, Jan. 2019, p. 22-24, afb. 1
- Bruce Haynes, 'Lully and the Rise of the Oboe as Seen in Works of Art', Early Music, jrg. 16, nr. 3 (aug. 1988), p. 324-338, afb. 4