“The Drawing Lesson” by Jan Steen | Style Imitating Art

After enjoying a short holiday hiatus, we are back with the first Style Imitating Art inspiration for 2023. I hope you all had a lovely holiday season are stepping into the New Year in your best style. Won’t you join us once again for this creative little fashion game that we like to play!

About Style Imitating Art

Style Imitating Art is hosted by Salazar of 14 Shades of Grey, Terri of Meadow Tree Style, and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. Style Imitating Art challenges us to draw style inspiration from pieces of art. Every other Monday, one of the hosts, acting as presenter, selects an inspiration image that they will each post on their blogs. The following Monday, each host shares her art inspired outfit. Participants are invited to submit their art inspired outfits to the presenter by 10:00 p.m. EST on the Tuesday following the hosts’ art inspired outfit posts. The following day, Wednesday, the presenter will share all of the submissions on her blog.

You don’t have to be a blogger to join either! In fact, you don’t even have to join but you can still use the art to inspire an outfit just for the sake of trying something different. If you want to share your inspired outfit, we invite you do so on Instagram or any other social media platform that you prefer. Just be sure to tag Salazar, Terri, and Shelbee or use #TeamLOTSStyle and #StyleImitatingArt so the hosts know you have joined. Go have some fun in your closets and join the SIA challenge next week!

This Week’s Presenter

Terri chose this week’s artwork. As she was searching for a different painting by the same artist, she happened upon this one and thought it was perfect for her as a retired art teacher to choose.

The Artwork

“The Drawing Lesson” by Jan Steen

Jan Steen was one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century Dutch Golden Age. His paintings are generally full of life and tell stories about normal people doing regular everyday things in 17th century Holland. His works are also known for their deep psychological insight, a sense of humor, and an abundant use of color.

“In this allegory of the status of the artist and the nature of his profession, a male artist instructs two pupils: a young boy and a fashionably dressed young woman. A plaster cast of a sculpture of a nude male seems to be the object of the day’s exercise in how to draw, but the studio is filled with many other props and materials.

“On the table are pens, brushes, charcoal pencils, and a woodcut depicting the head of an old man. Several plaster casts hang from a shelf that supports a sculpture of an ox, the symbol of Saint Luke, the patron saint of painters. A plaster putto is suspended from the ceiling in front of a tapestry, which is draped to reveal an easel with a painting and a violin hung on the wall. In the foreground a stretched canvas leans on a chest heaped with a bound album and a carpet. Objects related to the traditional theme of vanitas (vanity), a frequent subject of Dutch still lifes, are piled in the lower right corner. These items–a laurel wreath, a skull, wine, a fur muff, a book, a lute, and a pipe–remind viewers of the brevity of life and fame.”

Getty Museum

There is definitely a very detailed story unfolding in this painting. I bet every object in the drawing room has its own fascinating tale to tell. For me, however, I am a bit overwhelmed by the eclectic array of elements to use as outfit inspiration. I am not sure where to focus my attention yet so I will wait for my magical closet muse to guide me. Until then, if you want to be featured with your own art inspired outfit in Terri’s review post on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, be sure to submit your photos to her at meadowtreestyle@gmail.com by 10:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. 

Happy Styling! 

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee

Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.