“This merry family makes a lot of noise: the father sings at the top of his lungs, the mother and grandmother follow him, the children either blow into instruments or smoke a long pipe. A note hanging from the mantelpiece reads: “As the old man sings, so the young one will repeat.” What kind of children will they become if their parents set such a bad example?” So reads the text accompanying the painting on the museum's website.
A room with a fireplace and a closet. An intricate armchair, dishes and flowers on a shelf, a festively laid table – a carpet, a tablecloth. The family is not poor. A large company – eleven people of all ages, from a gray-bearded singer to a baby on her mother's lap.
First impression: the fun has reached its peak! On the table is a half-eaten ham, a cut loaf of bread, on the floor is a frying pan and an egg shell (were they frying eggs?), an empty bottle, a large dish, a jug with a lid.
Who's having fun? What kind of people are these? What are they doing?
Let's try to establish family ties. At the head of the table is a bearded violinist with a glass in his hand. Presumably, the father of the family. To the right of the table is an old woman with music in her hands (his wife? Or is she too old to be a wife? Maybe the mother?), into which a large-bodied young woman with a child in her arms (daughter-in-law or daughter) peers. The bagpiper (son or son-in-law) stands behind the old woman and blows a melody.
The children, with the exception of the baby sitting in his arms, are apparently the old man's children. One, with a bugle in his right hand and a pipe in his left, is hanging out of the window, another, with a flute, is sitting on the bench to the right, the third (the most mischievous one) is letting his younger sister light her pipe. And in the foreground, two girls are getting used to alcohol – the older one is letting the younger one suck wine (or beer) from a jug.
They sing. Selflessly! Most likely, this is a new drinking song. The dog also participates in the celebration: looking at the bearded man, he howls.
It looks like this is a family of musicians: sheet music and various musical instruments. The old lady sings, looking at the sheets of paper – she studied singing and knows how to read and write. It is very possible that her parents were also musicians and earned a good living – music lessons were neither cheap nor a short-term pleasure. Judging by the setting, this musical ensemble is in the service of a wealthy nobleman (or a merchant).
What was the occasion? The family probably got paid for performing at a wedding or birthday party – and not badly. The ham on the table is evidence of this (the usual dish of those times was fish, of which there was plenty).
The painting seems to condemn drunkenness: look, you get drunk, and what do your descendants do? They smoke, they try to drink! In a word, it’s not good! On the other hand, the father of the family was probably not a good boy in his childhood and youth either. And he lived to have grey hair – and lived well! As they say, God bless everyone!
And in general, what debauchery! Such disgrace is simply unacceptable! Well, is it really possible to introduce children to wine and smoking? But – on the other hand – it is better at home, in the family, under the supervision of parents, than on the side, with who knows who. At home, at least, you can explain to the child what is good and what is bad, and where there is a limit to entertainment.
Today the musicians have a little holiday! And everyone is having fun!
Jan Steen, The Merry Family, 1668, 110×141 cm, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
