SAFTLEVEN
Polands have been painted quite frequently in the past centuries. One of the first paintings dates back to 1620, and refers to two brothers, H & C. Saftleven. This painting still hangs on the wall, above the chimney, in an old castle in the Netherlands. The painters themselves often held the poultry, which they painted, themselves. These paintings proof that Polands are very old breeds and are part of our political cultural history. To put it differently, saving old breeds is as important as saving the paintings of old masters. It is actually a so called allegory, representing an old event from Dutch history. It represents a Dutch king ( man at horse), a predecessor from the present queen, chasing away an elderly statesman (the owl). One wonders what the chickens, right in front of the painting, represent; the common people or the novelty? Among them are some Polands. In those days Polands were associated with novelty.
The Dutch painter d'Hondecoeter is a well known painter from the 17th century and famous for his poultry painting. Very often Polands feature on his paintings. The painting shown is one of them. With a nice bearded self white hen in the middle. Please note the white crested black hen at the right hand side. However, where are the knobs on the heads of the chickens?
JAN STEEN’s THE POULTRY YARD
His live
Jan Steen was born in 1626. In 1646 he was enlisted as a student at the University of Leiden. It seems that studying was not his main expertise, since he was a master-painter two years later. He marries in 1649 with Grietje van Goyen, a daughter of the well known painter Jan van Goyen. He is known to run a brewery in 1654. In 1656 they move to Warmond, near Leiden, at a castle Oud-Teylingen. Of one of the owners of the castle he gets the assignment to paint The Poultry Yard.
A painting of Jan Steen
cost about € 7.00 in those times, nowadays manifolds that amount.
In 1669 his wife dies
leaving Jan behind with a large family. How he runs this shows the saying we
still use today: ‘a household from Jan Steen’. This saying is used when one
makes a mess of it. Jan Steen works hard and produces many paintings. In 1678
he dies, only 53 old.
On his tombstone is quoted;
This stone covers Jan Steen
Of all artists there is none,
So witty in painting,
His paint-brush is notorious,
Shows, how people, who lack the discipline
Get bewildered.
The Poultry Yard
The Poultry Yard is
made in 1660 and measures 107 cm high and 81 cm wide. At that time a lot of
paintings are made with poultry and other animals. Jan Steen painted more
poultry; The Poultry Salesman, the Cockfight, The Wedding ceremony. Jan Steen,
and many other painters, want people to reflect on life. Also on this
painting.
We see the little girl Berendina feeding a lamb. An Italian dog licks the
spoiled milk. We also can see some Polands, pigeons, crested ducks and
predecessors of the Owl beard and Breda fowl. Century old breeds, which still
exist today. Central in the painting is a girl in a white/yellowish dress
feeding a lamb. The girl lives in the castle behind the entrance gate. Above
the entrance gate is the family arms of Mathenesse-Lokhorst. The castle used
to be named Lokhorst or Oud-Teylingen. The castle was near Leiden. Jan Steen
lives there when he is painting it. The castle is owned by Jan van Wassenaar.
The Poultry Yard is actually a portrait of, probably, Berendina. She is the
stepdaughter of Jan van Wassenaar and Anna van den Bongard. There has been a
time, when people taught that the girl was a princess of the Royal family,
probably because prince William V bought the painting (in 1774).
