The Life of Man

The Life of Man is a densely populated Dutch genre scene set in a domestic interior, with figures of all ages engaged in everyday activities such as eating, playing music, weaving, and tending children. A central group gathers around a seated woman in a blue gown and a child, while others fill the midground and background, producing a diagonally layered composition. Light enters from a large left-hand window, illuminating faces and textures, and the color palette features warm earth tones—ochre, reds, and blues—executed in Jan Steen's detailed, narrative-driven Baroque style.