A rare 17th-century drawing attributed to Jan Steen, one of the greatest masters of the Dutch Golden Age. The sheet depicts a fiddler seated on a stool, mouth wide open as if singing at the top of his lungs, a broad-brimmed hat perched on his head. At his feet, a stoneware jug — a recurring motif in Steen's colourful world, where music, drink and good cheer are never far apart. The line is lively and spontaneous, full of the narrative energy that made Steen's reputation. The wash is skilfully applied, modelling the figure's volumes with remarkable economy, in a subtle interplay of transparency and contrast. This drawing is closely related in composition to a work held at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (Singing Fiddler, inv. RP-T-1961-76), strongly suggesting it is a preparatory sketch or preliminary study for that composition. The striking similarity in subject, pose and graphic treatment between the two sheets makes this a truly exceptional opportunity for collectors and scholars alike to acquire a piece directly connected to a world-class museum collection. Provenance : - Former German private collection (held within the same family for nearly a century) - Two collector's marks recorded in the Lugt database (L.2799c and L.4385), attesting to a well-documented and distinguished collecting history. The mark L.2799c has also been identified on a drawing by Jacques Bellange sold at Bassenge (Berlin) in 2007. Drawings by Jan Steen are extraordinarily scarce on the market — his graphic output is minimal compared to his prolific painting career (approximately 800 paintings). To own a sheet attributed to Steen, moreover one linked to a composition in the Rijksmuseum and bearing two old collector's marks recorded in the Lugt database, represents a genuinely rare opportunity for any collector of Dutch Old Master drawings.