Frans Hals: Malle Babbe in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin
One of the paintings in the background of Jan Steen’s “So de Oude songen, so pypen de Jongen” / Wie die Alten singen, so pfeifen die Jungen / As the Old Sing, So the Young Pipe (whistles) is a copy of Malle Babbe / Crazy Bappe (1633), a painting by Frans Hals that is usually displayed nearby, showing the influence of drink. This painting is sometimes referred to as The Witch of Haarlem. However, the owl and the tankard hint at a pub scene and the Dutch saying “as drunk as an owl”. Another background painting shows the bad habit of smoking.