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| Keywords: A School for Boys and Girls - steen.jpg en This is the largest of several schoolroom scenes by Steen The composition is loosely based on Raphael ™s fresco of ˜The School of Athens ™ in the Vatican depicting the greatest scholars of antiquity Basing this unruly scene on the famous gathering of greats Steen made a visual joke which is also echoed in the incidental detail The adults seem oblivious to the unruly behaviour of their pupils At the right is an owl traditional symbol of wisdom and attribute of the goddess Athena Here a boy offers it a pair of spectacles alluding to the Dutch proverb ˜What use are glasses or light if the owl does not want to see ™ This could apply to both pupils and teachers accession number Acc No NG 2421 Oil on canvas 81 70 x 108 60 cm framed 135 26 x 109 22 x 15 24 cm Credit Purchased by Private Treaty with the aid of the National Heritage Memorial Fund 1984 National Galleries of Scotland https //www nationalgalleries org/collection/artists-a-z/s/artist/jan-steen/object/a-school-for-boys-and-girls-ng-2421 circa 1670 creator Jan Steen other versions <gallery> File Hornbook-Steen JPG </gallery> PD-100 Jan Steen National Galleries Scotland | ||||
