Note: Your tags will not be submitted until you login Create account?
Exit

ARTWORKS

Skittle Players outside an Inn

Jan Steen (1625/1626–1679)

The National Gallery, London

Skittle Players outside an Inn

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

What things, ideas or objects can you see in this artwork?

i

Things are objects or ideas portrayed in the artwork. For example: apple, dog, smile, celebration, etc.

What do we mean by ‘things’?
Can you find what you’re tagging from this list? If so, please select it.
There are records to display, please narrow your criteria
Can’t find a matching tag? Add it here:
Add as many tags as you want Need help?

Things you’ve added

You can click a tag below to remove it.

None yet.

Things added by others

None yet.

Review approved things

The ‘things’ below have been verified, but you can still challenge and report them if you think they are incorrect or inappropriate.

Tree

Can you name any people depicted in this artwork?

i

People are the names of figures depicted in the artwork. For example: Queen Victoria, Charles Darwin, Florence Nightingale, etc.

What do we mean by ‘people’?
Can you find what you’re tagging from this list? If so, please select it.
There are records to display, please narrow your criteria
Can’t find a matching tag? Add it here:
Add as many tags as you want Need help?

People you’ve added

You can click a tag below to remove it.

None yet.

People added by others

None yet.

Can you name any places depicted in this artwork?

i

Places are geographical locations and venues depicted in the artwork. For example: Glasgow, London Bridge, Belgium, etc.

What do we mean by ‘places’?
Can you find what you’re tagging from this list? If so, please select it.
There are records to display, please narrow your criteria
Can’t find a matching tag? Add it here:
Add as many tags as you want Need help?

Places you’ve added

You can click a tag below to remove it.

None yet.

Places added by others

None yet.

Can you name any events depicted in this artwork?

i

Events are occasions or historical moments shown in the artwork. For Example: WW1, Diamond Jubilee, Birthday Party, Battle of Hastings, etc.

What do we mean by ‘events’?
Can you find what you’re tagging from this list? If so, please select it.
There are records to display, please narrow your criteria
Can’t find a matching tag? Add it here:
Add as many tags as you want Need help?

Events you’ve added

You can click a tag below to remove it.

None yet.

Events added by others

None yet.

How you can use this image

This image can be used for non-commercial research or private study purposes, and other UK exceptions to copyright permitted to users based in the United Kingdom under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised. Any other type of use will need to be cleared with the rights holder(s).

Review the copyright credit lines that are located underneath the image, as these indicate who manages the copyright (©) within the artwork, and the photographic rights within the image.

The collection that owns the artwork may have more information on their own website about permitted uses and image licensing options.

Review our guidance pages which explain how you can reuse images, how to credit an image and how to find images in the public domain or with a Creative Commons licence available.

Buy a print or image licence

You can purchase this reproduction

If you have any products in your basket we recommend that you complete your purchase from Art UK before you leave our site to avoid losing your purchases.

Order a print

Notes

Add or edit a note on this artwork that only you can see. You can find notes again by going to the ‘Notes’ section of your account.

This sparkling little picture is unusual among Jan Steen’s paintings. We are outside an inn -- The White Swan, to judge by its sign -- rather than in its dark interior, Steen’s more typical setting.The energetic pose of the man bowling suggests that he's serious about his game and that, given a moment or two, the skittles will be scattered everywhere. His companions keep a close watch, while a little boy stands straight and gazes intently, a crutch under his arm. Steen has captured their moods and characters with the minimum of facial detail, their poses and gestures enough to tell us about them.Steen’s paintings are robust and entertaining. Perhaps the fact that he owned and kept an inn brought him close to the people and incidents he painted, making them immediate, lively and true to life.

The National Gallery, London

London

Read more on The National Gallery, London
Title

Skittle Players outside an Inn

Date

probably 1660-3

Medium

Oil on oak

Measurements

H 33.5 x W 27 cm

Accession number

NG2560

Acquisition method

Salting Bequest, 1910

Work type

Painting

Tags

See a tag that’s incorrect or offensive? Challenge it and notify Art UK.

Help improve Art UK. Tag artworks and verify existing tags by joining the Tagger community.

Learn more Tag this
Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

View venue

Artist or maker

Jan Steen

1625/1626–1679

View profile
  • Christ in the House of Martha and Mary
    Christ in the House of Martha and Mary Pollok House
  • The Skittle Players
    The Skittle Players Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge
  • The Lute Player
    The Lute Player The Wallace Collection
  • The Village Alchemist
    The Village Alchemist The Wallace Collection
  • Merrymaking in a Tavern
    Merrymaking in a Tavern The Wallace Collection
  • The Harpsichord Lesson
    The Harpsichord Lesson The Wallace Collection
  • Celebrating the Birth
    Celebrating the Birth The Wallace Collection
  • 59 more