Daring Us to Laugh: An Analysis of the Satirical Imagery of Jan Steen

Abstract

This paper explores how Jan Steen's humourous imagery dares us to laugh. The findings show that Steen’s use of satire is encoded within the emblematical language of contemporary 17(superscript th) century European and Dutch iconography. Thus, humour is a culturally determined phenomenon. The findings also reveal that Steen employs satirical imagery to describe historical episodes, biblical events, and moralistic tales. However, it is patent that Steen does not use satire and black comedy in the same vitriolic and acerbic manner that might demonize his victims as in propaganda. His use of satire is much more discreet and moderate. The findings also demonstrate that Steen uses carnivalesque figures and double entendre in many of his paintings. Significanlty, it is evident that Steen employs a comic persona in many of his paintings as a living signature, preserving his comical likeness for posterity and to establish a link between the painting and his audience. Furthermore, Steen’s role-playing seems to demonstrate the authority of a comedian's dexterity.