Jan Steen (Leiden 1626-Leiden 1679)
A Woman at her Toilet Signed and dated 1663
Oil on panel | 65.8 x 53.0 cm (support, canvas/panel/stretcher external) | RCIN 404804
The arch looks like an altar surround, the room seen through it like a chamber of sinful pleasure. On the altar ledge is a lute with music – the attributes of a serenading lover – resting upon a skull entwined with ivy, a reminder of the transience of earthly things.
Acquired by George IV in 1821
Acquired by George IV in 1821
