Adolf and Catharina Croeser, Known as ‘The Burgomaster of Delft and his Daughter’
1655
Jan Steen brings a touch of everyday street life to this formal portrait of Delft's burgomaster, Adolf Croeser, and his daughter Catharina. Dressed in his finest black velvet, the powerful politician sits casually on his front steps, looking rather bemused as a ragged woman with a basket and a young child interrupt his day. While the wealthy family flaunts their status with shimmering silk dresses and a grand view of the Nieuwe Kerk in the background, Steen cheekily contrasts their high society with the gritty reality of the common folk. It's a brilliant Baroque snapshot that shows even the most important men in 17th-century Holland couldn't escape a good chat with their neighbors.
Location: Mauritshuis, The Hague