As the Old Sing, So the Young Pipe

The title is a proverb meaning that children take after adults. Three generations of a family carouse, the eldest the worse for wear and clearly not setting the best example. To underline the message, a fool points to a wicker cage and the songbirds within, and a parrot – known for its mimicry – perches on a chair. They sing the popular ballad “Die Geusen,” [“The Beggars”], the insult applied to the Dutch forces that had invaded Flanders, then fallen at the Battle of Kallo in 1638; the painting was likely made a few years later. Scenes of celebration, tempered by moralizing messages, were popular and a reliable source of income for artists. Jordaens planned the composition and executed much of it, but delegated parts to his assistants, among whom was a specialist in still-life painting.