Christ in the House of Mary and Martha

This earlier treatment of the Christ in the House of Mary and Martha subject—from around 1650—predates the circa-1655 version and shows Steen's initial engagement with the scriptural narrative. The two versions allow comparison of how Steen's handling of the same subject evolved across five years. In this earlier treatment, the setting and figure arrangement may be closer to established compositional precedents before Steen fully domesticated the scene in his own idiom.

The domestic setting is somewhat more formal than the 1655 version, with architectural elements providing structure to the composition. The three principal figures—Christ, Mary, and Martha—are differentiated by light and position. The palette uses warm ochres and muted blues characteristic of Steen's 1650s output.