Jan Steen arranges the various actors as though on a theatre stage. The gentle depth of the close up composition is based on a triangle, with the magnificently dressed young woman at its front. The lady of the house, has fallen asleep at the table on the left. The dog is finishing the meat pie that was served on the table, one of the children is filching something from the cabinet on the wall, the little girl’s brother is trying out a pipe, and the youngest child, sitting in his highchair, is playing carelessly with a string of pearls. His attention diverted to the side, a young man is trying to play a violin. On the right side the doorway leads to another room, but is obstructed with a pig.