Soo d'oude songen, soo pypen de jonge

When seeking inspiration for her graduation project, Tahné flipped through her art history books in a blind panic. One book fell open on Jan Steen's ‘Oyster Eater’. Tahné instantly recognised herself in the girl. The girl makes eye contact with the outside world, while stealing oysters. In the background, there's a party. The girl wants to be a part of it, but she has one foot in the outside world. This is what Tahné sees in the painting. It inspired her to want to learn more about Jan Steen and his work.

"I studied the work of Jan Steen and used his paintings for inspiration. Now when I look at seventeenth-century paintings, I see the characters not as they were painted, but as they would look today. Without even thinking about it, I put the faces of people I know onto the characters on the canvas," says Tahné.

When Tahné was still studying documentary photography, she looked for unusual situations, moments that she could capture. She wanted to convey something new to those who viewed her images. Her internship supervisor reminded her of the idiosyncratic family in which she grew up, which is how Tahné came up with the idea for the photo series.

Jan Steen is a source of inspiration for Tahné. He often used his own wife and children as 'extras' in his paintings. He also appeared on the canvases a number of times himself. Jan's works feature humour, imagery and exaggeration to tell a story. He painted happenings within his family as if they involved completely ordinary and normal people. Tahné wanted to depict her family as normal people too but in photos instead of on canvas.

“Soo als de oude songen, soo pypen de jongen.” This old Dutch proverb has been used for centuries. It means that children learn from the example set by older generations, by their parents and grandparents.

This photo is about passing on habits, both good and bad. Take a moment to think about your own habits. Chances are that your father or mother or your grandpa or grandma have them too. The composition in this photo strongly resembles that of a painting by Jan Steen, ‘As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young’. The title means that setting a bad example encourages further bad behaviour. The painting is on display at the Mauritshuis in The Hague. A well-known Dutch expression came about because of this artwork: 'a Jan Steen household' has come to mean that someone has a very messy house.

A family with plenty of money problems, addictions, pride and conviviality. This photo shows it’s the type of family Tahné grew up in. The situation you see might be a bit more extreme than what you're used to, but there's something happening in every corner.

This photo is part of a series. However, a photo taken from a series does not necessarily lose its impact when viewed on its own. A good photo evokes something in you. What you see can be beautiful, but it doesn't always have to be.

A crate of beer on the floor. A bottle of wine on the table. A man pouring a glass of beer. A lot of alcohol.

Alcohol has been around for millennia. Wine is even mentioned in the Bible. There are all sorts of names for people who are avid drinkers, including tippler, boozer, sponge, lush and toper. Do you know any more?

'Little Brown Jug' is a famous old drinking song. And what about the traditional 'Beer, Beer, Beer' that focuses on that famous drink? "A barrel of malt, a bushel of hops, you stir it around with a stick/the kind of lubrication to make your engine tick." There are many more drinking songs out there. You might know a few of them.

There are many different gods in Greek mythology. For instance, there is Dionysus, although the Romans knew him as Bacchus. He is the god of wine and ecstasy. The wine god is often accompanied by satyrs. In fact, he is featured in a very large and colourful artwork here in the LAM, close to this photo. You probably know which one. The ambience of this photo by Tahné is similar to that of the vibrant piece in question.

Tahné herself is pictured in this photo. Artists often use themselves as models. Sometimes they do it to save on costs.

Even at first glance, you can see that there's a lot going on here. An enormous amount, actually. Does it seem like an enjoyable gathering to you, nice and relaxed? Or does it not seem pleasant to you at all, just a mishmash of all sorts of things? People have very different ideas about what they think is fun and pleasant. One person might be crazy about karaoke, while another's idea of a fun time might be an extensive high tea.

Take a good look at the group, do you think that they're related? There is a wide age range. Do they all belong to the same family? Or are they people who just happen to live on the same street? 

What's your opinion of this? Some people are very strict with their pets. They are absolutely not allowed on the table or in the bedroom. And they are fed at the same time every day. But there are also people who cuddle their cats almost to death. Spoiled cats are allowed on the table. And when there are flowers on the table, they happily drink the water from the vase. Perhaps they're even given a scrap of meat.