Visual analysis
Subject matter
The main subject of the painting is a young woman salting oysters while making direct eye contact with the viewer. Her expression is flirtatious and communicates to viewers that she is salting the oysters for them.Composition
In ''The Oyster Eater'', Steen uses framing to create a complicated yet skillful composition. He uses the vertical and horizontal lines of the door frame, bed curtains, and the edge of the table to create an imaginary border around the young woman. The arched top of the painting reflects the curvature of the girl's head and left shoulder. The placement of objects such as the oyster point in a specific direction, allowing the viewer's eye to focus on the figures in the back room. The placement of the background figures in a separate room is common in Dutch paintings and is referred to as ''doorsien'' (view through a doorway). This technique also allows the viewer's eye to plunge into the background of a painting. Artists like Steen added ''doorsien'' to paintings to create an atmosphere of diligence and desire among the subjects. The use of ''doorsien'' also adds a sense of balance between the men in the background and the young woman in the foreground.Symbolism
In the context of this painting, the oysters convey an erotic meaning. Oysters are thought to be an aphrodisiac, the most seductive being the ones that are rich and full. Empty oyster shells or oysters placed alongside other partially eaten items like in ''The Oyster Eater'' imply the temporariness of earthly pleasures, a commonly repeated theme in Dutch art. During the seventeenth century, shells started to make appearances in several Dutch genre paintings or merry company paintings. They were objects of scientific interest to the Dutch who were interested in science and history. Oysters also held an exotic connotation as many featured in Dutch paintings were from different continents, and they were used because they were seen as ancient souvenirs of the past. In paintings that specifically included oysters, they were depicted as oyster meals. Merry company paintings are thought to have originated from early sixteenth-century Flemish mythological paintings. Oysters were a reminder of ancient times and symbolizedStyle
Influences
The style of Steen's ''The Oyster Eater'' comes close to the elegant style of Frans van Mieris the Elder. Particularly, the arched top, small size, and extreme care of every small detail resemble the works of Gerrit Dou, who was the great master of "fine painting" in Leiden and Mieris' teacher.Historical context
Steen's ''The Oyster Eater'' is one of his many genre paintings. These paintings generally included earthy humor, sometimes with satirical overtones. They expressed the Dutch whim for portraiture, love of the home and family, and for moralistic messages, all typically found in domestic settings. Steen typically depicted his subjects in a favorable or gratifying manner. However, he would also make fun of his subjects by exposing their foolishness or strangeness.Themes
Steen had an interest in the theme of love: contemporary or ancient. He used love to expose the passion and vulnerability that overcomes humans when they are in love. His use of humor in genre paintings helped to convey the follies of love in a relatable way. Genre paintings of his that show a love theme include subjects such as marriage, brothel scenes, and the treatment of lovesickness ('' The Physician's Visit''). Steen depicts two different kinds of love in his genre paintings: sacred love and profane love. Steen's paintings of sacred love, such as '' The Marriage of Tobias and Sarah'', show a young, innocent love that makes the subjects oblivious to everything else in the world. Steen's works depicting profane love associate love and desire with the follies of the world. These paintings demonstrate concepts of lust, incest, and mass abduction. One example of Steen's profane love images is '' Easy Come, Easy Go'' which also uses oysters as a symbol of lust.Provenance
The whereabouts of ''The Oyster Eater'' before 1783 are unknown. The painting is known to have been owned by Pieter Locquet who sold it to Pieter van Winter inNotes
References
* Cloutier-Blazzard, Kimberlee A. "The Elephant in the Living Room: Jan Steen's Fantasy Interior as Parodic Portrait of the Schouten Family." ''Aurora, The Journal of the History of Art'' 11 (2010): 91. * Liana De Girolami Cheney. "The Oyster in Dutch Genre Paintings: Moral or Erotic Symbolism." ''Artibus Et Historiae'' 8, no. 15 (1987): 135–58. doi:10.2307/1483275. * Kahr, Madlyn Milner. “Dutch Paintings of the Seventeenth Century.” New York: Harper and Row. 1978. * Kirschenbaum, Baruch David, and Jan Steen. The Religious and Historical Paintings of Jan Steen. New York: Allanheld & Schram, 1977. * "Jan Steen The Oyster Eater." ''Mauritshuis''. 2019. March 12, 2019. https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/explore/the-collection/artworks/girl-eating-oysters-818/.External links