Dr Kügler, a judicious critic, thus sums up his character as an artist:
"The works of Jan Steen imply a free and cheerful view of common life,
and he treats it with a careless humor, such as seems to deal with all
its daily occurrences, high and low, as a laughable masquerade and a
mere scene of perverse absurdity. His treatment of the subjects differed
essentially from that adopted by other artists. Frequently, indeed, they
are the same jolly drinking parties, or the meetings of boors; but in
other masters the object is, for the most part, to depict a certain
situation, either quiet or animated, whilst in Jan Steen is generally to
be found action more or less developed, together with all the
reciprocal relations and interests between the characters which spring
from it. This is accompanied by great variety and force of individual
expression, such as evinces the sharpest observation. He is almost the
only artist in the Netherlands who has thus, with true genius, brought
into full play all these elements of comedy. His technical execution
suits his design; it is carefully finished, and notwithstanding the
closest attention to minute details, it is as firm and correct as it is
light and free."