'Easy Come, Easy Go'

Jan Havicksz. Steen (in 1661)

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Katerina asked

Does the museum have material culture, such as the everyday objects (backgammon, utensils) depicted in the painting? It would be an interesting comparison to look at.
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

Dear Katerina, thank you for your question. Already since the mid nineties our curator pre industrial art (Alexandra van Dongen) is linking material culture in our collection to paintings on which it is depicted under the name ALMA. At this moment she is preparing a new research page on the website which will go live in about two months. In the meantime you can see examples with individual paintings, for instance this one: https://www.boijmans.nl/collectie/kunstwerken/1408/de-pannenkoekenbakkerij
I hope this is helpful, Kind regards, Els
Sarah asked

What can you tell me about the thesis that Jan Steen painted himself in this artwork?
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

Hi Sarah, the figures in the painting are fictitious but Jan Steen probably used his own face as inspiration for the laughing figure in the middle. This man certainly looks like Steen himself. kind regards, Sophie

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Forgotten meanings

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This apparently cosy domestic scene delivers a strong moralising message. A tablet on the mantlepiece bears the phrase: 'Easy come, easy go', which means that in gambling any winnings are soon lost again. It is a warning against betting on backgammon, which is being played in the room beyond.

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Specifications

Title	'Easy Come, Easy Go'
Material and technique	Oil on canvas
Object type	Painting > Painting > Two-dimensional object > Art object
Location	This object is in storage

Dimensions	Width 104 cm Height 79 cm
Artists	Painter: Jan Havicksz. Steen
Accession number	2527 (OK)
Credits	Acquired with the collection of D.G. Van Beuningen, 1958
Department	Old Masters
Acquisition date	1958
Creation date	in 1661
Collector	Collector / D.G. van Beuningen
Internal exhibitions	The Collection Enriched (2011) De collectie als tijdmachine (2017)
External exhibitions	De verbeelding van de Nederlandse spreekwoorden (2006) Boijmans bij de Buren - Samensmeden, Meesters in zilver (2019)
Research	Show research Alma
Material	Canvas > Worked fibres > Fibre > Vegetable material > Organic material > Material > Material and technique Oil > Paint > Artist's material > Material > Material and technique
Object	Painting > Painting > Two-dimensional object > Art object
Geographical origin	Northern Netherlands > The Netherlands > Western Europe > Europe

Show research Alma

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All about the artist

Jan Havicksz. Steen

Leiden 1626 - Leiden 1679

Jan Steen is known for his humorous depictions of the everyday life of farmers and the middle-classes in 17th-century Holland. He worked in The Hague, Haarlem,...

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