\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 In this painting, Jan Steen has chosen to represent the feast of Saint Nicholas, traditionally a celebration for children.
In a room filled with their tumultuous antics, Steen sets out to describe their moods. Some, like the little girl in the foreground, appear to be happy with the gifts they have received, which the artist depicts in meticulous detail: the small and charm
ing doll that represents St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus as he is sometimes called, the pail filled with flowers, the tasty sweets scattered here and there. Others, punished for their bad behavior, have given way to desperate tears. The familiar scene is
caught at a moment of great vivacity, when the most genuine feelings cannot fail to be revealed. The focus on the setting and the objects is very precise: the windows in the background convey a clear impression of a winterÆs day, contrasting with the wa
rmth inside the room. The character of the latter is conveyed through the presence of individual objects and the muddle of everyday life, as represented for example by the worn out shoe lying in the foreground. The adultsÆ mood is affected by that of t
he children, who rejoice in their smiles. The familiarity of the composition is emphasized by the extraordinary sequence of faces, which bestow a reassuring tone on the scene and convey the atmosphere of a party to which just about everyone seems to hav
