A Peasant Family at Meal-time ('Grace before Meat')
- Artist: Jan Steen
- Date: about 1665
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "A Peasant Family at Meal-time ('Grace before Meat')" painted in the Dutch tradition by Jan Steen. The painting depicts a peasant family gathered around their meagre table, preparing for dinner.
Notice how the little girl sits straight ahead, her gaze fixed on some point in front of her. This posture was taught to her by her mother as part of her prayers before eating. Her brother stands behind her, his hands hidden beneath his hat, perhaps ready to pray.
The father is off to the side, cutting a loaf of black rye bread. The family doesn't appear to be wealthy, and their table is sparse with only a few items on it. However, they are shown as an orderly and devout household, where parents are teaching their children right from wrong.
But what's interesting about this painting is that there are two possible readings. One interpretation is that the dog in the corner is a warning sign of a family that isn't living up to its moral duties. The other reading suggests that the family is simply too preoccupied with putting food on the table to worry about their children's prayers.
Jan Steen was known for his ability to capture both the lighter and more serious sides of human nature in his paintings. And this work, painted around 1665, epitomises that dual approach.
See it in person
A Peasant Family at Meal-time ('Grace before Meat') hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
