The Standard Galleries: Holland

The Boijmans Museum, Rotterdam

The Museum’s Origin and Growth

The Boijmans (or Boymans) Museum, on the Schiedamsche Dyk, was founded by a bequest of Mr. F. J. O. Boijmans, who died in 1847. His fine collection of 360 paintings suffered by fire in 1864, and only 163 of them were left. These were housed in a new building, completed in 1867. By means of various bequests and purchases, the collection has been increased to more than four hundred paintings and two thousand drawings and engravings. The ground-floor contains the drawings and engravings, the Library of Rotterdam (30,000 volumes), and the Portrait-room. The upper floor consists of six galleries, two of which are devoted to modern pictures.

Two Classes of Landscapes in this Museum.—The Boijmans Museum is rich in landscapes. These naturally fall into two classes: first, the works of those men who studied in Italy or at least owed their inspiration to others who did; and secondly, pictures of purely Dutch scenery with the peasants, flocks, and herds familiar to the native. The classical landscapes are framed with mountains, and usually have cascades and ruins, and often are peopled with nymphs, shepherds, and other figures classically draped. Many examples of this school have already been noted in The Hague and Amsterdam museums.

Painters of Italian Landscapes.—Jan Miel (1599-1664) went to Rome and studied under Andreas Sacchi. His Italian Landscape, alive with travellers, is similar in feeling and treatment to many others in this gallery by Jan van de Meer, Jr., Adam Pynacker, J. Lingelbach, Jacob van Huchtenburgh, Willem de Heusch, Jan Hackaert, J. van Bronckhorst, Pieter Bout, Jan Both, Adriaen Bloemaert, and Johannes van der Bent. In many of these classical landscapes the figures are supplied by A. van de Velde and Lingelbach.

Poelenburg’s Figure-painting.—Poelenburg painted the figures in the pictures of some of his contemporaries,—in the Rocky Landscape by Willem de Heusch, for instance. In this panel we find the usual road with women, children, cattle, sheep, goats, trees, cascade, rocks covered with vegetation, shepherd with flock, travellers with a pack-mule, and mountainous background.

A. Bloemaert’s Italian Landscape.—Adriaen Bloemaert (d. 1668) painted historical subjects and landscape. His Italian Landscape exhibits goats on rocks covered with vegetation in the foreground, from which a road rises to a castle on a mountain. A man and a child are coming down the road. The background is mountainous.

Dirk Maas’s Camp.—Dirk Maas (1656-1717) studied successively under Mommers, Berchem, and Huchtenburgh, and finally adopted the style of the latter. His subjects generally are skirmishes, marches, and camps. His Camp is full of life. The canvas of a tent is fixed to a tree-trunk. Before the tent sits a cavalier, glass in hand and holding a horse by the bridle, talking to a woman standing in front of him. Inside the tent, soldiers are playing cards; on the right, two dogs are fighting. There are other groups of soldiers, beggars, horses, women, and children. The background is closed by tents at the foot of an elevation crowned by a fortress.

Jan Maartsen’s Cavalry Combat.—Jan Maartsen (d. 1645) painted battles and cavalry skirmishes. His Cavalry Combat, dated 1630, shows a fight between Dutch and Spaniards. Infantry are engaged in the background.

Vrancx’s Pillage and his Promenade.—Sebastian Vrancx (or Francken) has a Pillage, somewhat similar to that of Wouwermans. Soldiers are seen pursuing fugitives and chasing cattle before them; one soldier takes a poor peasant from his house as prisoner; and farther away, near a tree, are a horseman on a rearing horse, and a house in flames; in the middle distance the village street guarded by the cavalry; and in the background houses, and a town on the horizon.

His Promenade shows a gentleman in black, with brown mantle and large hat ornamented with green, white, and red feathers, offering his hand to a lady in a white dress, red overskirt, black mantle, and red bonnet. On the right is a grape-vine; on the left, an inn, in which several persons are seated; and on the horizon, a town.

The same subject is again treated, but this time the gentleman wears a costume of white satin and red velvet, a brown cloak and a brown hat with a green plume, and high leather boots, while the lady has a blue dress, a white bodice, a tunic of red satin, a fluted ruff, and a round hat. Fireworks are seen in the background.

Esais van de Velde’s Battle Picture.—Esais van de Velde has a Nocturnal Combat between Cavalry and Infantry, in which a Dutch troop of cavalry are attacking Spanish Mousquetaires and Lansquenets, the scene illuminated by a tent in flames. Far in the distance are the towers and spires of a town.

Johan Huchtenburgh and his Cavalry Combat.—Johan van Huchtenburgh (1646-1733) was a pupil of Thomas Wijk. After joining his brother Jacob in Italy in 1667, and working there for a time, he left for France, and painted under the direction of the celebrated battle-painter, A. F. van der Meulen. On his return to Holland in 1670 he grew famous; afterwards he painted scenes from the wars in which William III., Marlborough, and Prince Eugene were prominent. His Cavalry Combat shows a fight between the Imperial troops and the Turks in a mountainous district. It is full of action. The foreground is in shadow, while the middle distance and background are fully illuminated.

Lingelbach’s Country People by a Fountain.—Country People by a Fountain is the title of a picture by J. Lingelbach. In the foreground of an Italian landscape several country people are variously grouped; on the right, at the foot of a rock, a fountain gushes forth, by which is a man wrapped in sheepskin; in the centre, a woman riding an ass, is talking to another woman, who stands by her side; then comes a boy; then a man is seen drinking from the fountain, his ass beside him. On the left, another peasant is riding a white horse laden with panniers; and by his side walks a man with a stick in his hand, and followed by a dog. On the left is a lake; and mountains form the background.

Three Landscapes by Adam Pynacker.—The Rotterdam Gallery owns three pictures by Adam Pynacker. In An Italian Landscape a line of high mountains edges the horizon, from which stretches a plain; and in the foreground on the right, a river flows from a high mountain through a rocky gorge. Two men are fishing; and near them are a dog and an ass. On the left a road leads to a small lake, on the borders of which a herdsman and his cattle are advancing. In the Mountainous Landscape a ruined tower stands at the foot of a high rock on the left; and along the road that is lost behind the hill and rocks in the foreground, peasants and their cattle are seen. The setting sun throws its warm rays over the wooded hills and over the river that winds through the vast landscape and upon the figures, and illuminates a cow and a goat browsing among the bushes and rocks. On the Border of a Lake shows a sheet of water illuminated by the sun, and on the left several persons are embarking. In the distance are rocky peaks partly wooded; and men are fishing from the shore of the lake.

Jacob Huchtenburgh’s Mountainous Landscape.—Jacob van Huchtenburgh followed his master, Berchem. In the foreground of his Mountainous Landscape a road crosses a river by a three-arched stone bridge. In the road are some sheep and peasants; and a shepherd with an ass and two cows is crossing the bridge. At a ford on the right a man is watering two horses. Some distance away there is a cloister at the foot of a high mountain, before which are monks, peasants, and a carriage and horses. Higher up the mountain are a farm, a castle, and a group of buildings surrounded by walls. Peasants are dancing in a valley on the left. Finally, we see a vast mountain landscape through which a river winds.

Moucheron’s Mountainous Landscape.—Another Mountainous Landscape is by Moucheron. In the foreground we observe a woman on a white horse. She is talking to a man who descends a hill. Some country people are wading through a ford, and on the other side of the stream stands a ruined tower. The picture is lighted by the warm rays of the setting sun. Adriaen van de Velde painted the figures.

Two Imitators of Poelenburg’s Style.—Jan van Bronckhorst has an Italian Landscape in the style of Poelenburg, by which he is most commonly known. There are ruins partly surrounded by water, two bathers, a shepherd and goats, a stone bridge, and mountainous background. Another imitator of Poelenburg was Jacob Esselens (b. 1628), who painted landscapes, marines, and town views. A Landscape shows a distinguished company of ladies and gentlemen beside a stream with carriages, horses, hounds, herons, and falcons. On the river are a yacht and a row-boat; and, in the distance, a castle among the trees. The scene is full of color and movement.

Jan Beerstraten and his Town Gate.—Jan Beerstraten (d. 1660) painted marines and town views; but nothing is known of him except that he married Magdalena Bronckhorst. His drawing is good, color excellent, and brush work strong. Some of his marines will bear comparison with those of Backhuysen. A. van de Velde sometimes painted his figures. A Town Gate, signed and dated 1654, worthily displays his powers. In a mountainous country we see a town, with its churches, towers, gates, and fortifications, situated on both sides of a river; on the water several boats are sailing and rowing; and, on the banks, people are bathing and promenading.

Jan Hackaert’s Mountainous Landscape.—Jan Hackaert has a fine Mountainous Landscape with a shepherd playing a clarinet by a stream, and a couple of peasants dancing, watched by a man with his back to us. On a hill to the right, under tall trees, are a hunter and his dog; to the left, a man on horseback followed by a dog. A road runs along the banks of a lake, at the foot of a high mountain brightly illuminated by the sun, on which three cavaliers are approaching at a fast trot. The figures and animals in this canvas belong to J. Lingelbach.

Berchem and Two who painted in his Style.—Johannes van der Bent (1650-90) was a pupil of Ph. Wouwermans and A. van de Velde; but he also imitated the style of N. Berchem. He has an Italian Landscape in which a shepherdess is milking a goat in the foreground, with another woman and a boy near her; farther on are a white horse and cattle. The mountainous background has a cascade as usual. Berchem is not strongly represented here,—only by A Grotto: a woman and two men, one mounted on an ass, are driving cattle over a ford. On the right, a shepherd is driving a flock of sheep; there are high mountains in the distance. Dirk van Berghen has also a Landscape and Animals in this style with mountainous and woody perspective.

J. Both’s Italian Landscape: Evening.—Johannes Both has another of his pictures here that shows the influence of Claude Lorraine. In the Italian Landscape: Evening, the left foreground is occupied by tall trees; a chariot is drawn by two oxen along a road leading to an old tower; on the horizon is a town on the sea-shore.

P. Bout’s Italian Seaport.—Pieter Bout (1658-1702) almost always worked in collaboration with N. Boudwijns, for whose landscapes he supplied figures. Works exclusively his own are very rare. He belonged to the Flemish-Italian school, and has here a busy and lively Italian Seaport in the style of J. B. Weenix. It is signed and dated 1669, which hardly agrees with the date given for his birth unless he was very precocious.

Other Painters in the Same Group.—In this group also we might include Gerrit Claes Bleecker (d. 1656), whose work recalls Elzheimer and his followers. His Saul on the Road to Damascus is classical rather than Biblical in sentiment, and the landscape is Italian.

Weenix’s Tobias Sleeping under a Vine.—The same may be said of the charming Tobias Sleeping under a Vine by J. B. Weenix. In this there is a house on the right, against the wall of which is a vine under which Tobias is sleeping. A magpie is flying above his head, and beside him are various objects such as this artist loved to paint,—vegetables, a great copper milk pan, a yoke, harness, and other things, including a basket of grapes and an earthen pitcher. In the background a man is mounting a ladder. The picture is signed and dated 1662, two years before the painter’s death.

Hendrick Mommers (1623-97) also has an Italian Landscape. He imitated the style of Karel Dujardin, another painter of this school. Frederick de Moucheron has a Mountainous Landscape. His pictures also were peopled by the indefatigable Van de Velde and Lingelbach.

Landscape Setting for The Good Samaritan.—Joris van der Hagen is another who makes use of a Biblical episode as an excuse for a landscape, or for the frame of the subject, as in his Landscape Serving as a Frame for the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In the foreground on the left, near two tall trees, the Good Samaritan has dismounted and is stanching the wounds of the traveller; four dogs are near the ass; not far away the brigands are descending a path at the foot of a mountain. On the right is the Levite, and farther back is the Pharisee, going away in a different direction. In the background is a river crossed by a three-arched bridge, on the other side of which are high buildings surrounded with trees. Mountains close the view.

Boaz and Ruth in an Italian Setting.—Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (1621-74), although a pupil of Rembrandt, painted so-called Biblical scenes in much the same spirit. Thus his Boaz and Ruth has an Italian setting. In the foreground Boaz is talking to his servant; Ruth is standing beside the latter with her apron full of wheat. On the left is a barn surrounded with trees; in front of it three harvesters are eating their meal; on the right beside a plough are a straw hat, a game-bag, and a pitcher. In the background is a field of corn which is being reaped and sheafed. Mountains close the scene.

Balaam, by the Same Artist.—Again in Balaam, trees and a river, high mountains and ruins, form the background. The prophet is seated on his ass, and beating him with a stick to make him advance; but on the left an angel in white with golden wings stops him, sword in hand. Balaam is followed by two horsemen in Roman costume, and behind them is a chariot drawn by two horses.

The Flight into Egypt with an Italian Background.—Pieter Lastman painted an Italian landscape as a background for the Flight into Egypt. Here we see the Virgin Mary on an ass with the Infant Jesus in her arms, and by her side walks Joseph, carrying his carpenter’s tools. A tree is seen on the left; and a cascade, ruins, and rocks in the background on the right.

Van der Weyden’s The Apostle John.—Rogier van der Weyden (1390-1464) is an early master who painted in this style. In his The Apostle St. John, the Apostle is seated in the foreground of a landscape, writing on a sheet of paper which lies on his knees. He wears a red robe, and a large red mantle lined with green falls from his shoulders and covers his knees with ample folds. Behind him, a winged demon empties his inkstand. On the left two gentleman are seen on horseback, and the background shows a mountainous landscape traversed by a river and enlivened by a castle and a fortified town.

Van der Maes and Van der Werff.—Evert Crijnsz van der Maes (1577-1646) has a St. Jerome in a landscape, signed and dated 1609. Another picture of a hermit is by B. Matton, who lived a little later. Pieter van der Werff has a Repentant Magdalen, who is kneeling in a grotto with hands crossed on her breast, while she reads a parchment scroll covered with Hebraic characters.

Jan van Byler’s Picture of Rachel and her Father.—Jan van Byler, born in Utrecht in the second half of the seventeenth century, and pupil of his father, is rarely met with in either public or private galleries. Here, however, we find Laban Reproaching Rachel for having Carried off his Household Gods. In the foreground, Rachel is seated holding by one hand a little boy, while with the other she makes a gesture, as if to ward off the reproaches of Laban, who is standing before her. On the right is a young man carrying a basket. A brown and white dog lies in the foreground; and in the distance are seen two men and a camel near a tent attached to the trunk of a tree.

H. Goltzius.—H. Goltzius is represented by an interesting picture, Juno Receiving the Eyes of Argus Killed by Mercury. Mercury is seated on a red cloak; in his right hand he holds one of the eyes of Argus, which Juno, descending on a cloud, is about to receive in her robe. Before him are the severed head and corpse of Argus and a naked sword. A rocky landscape extends to the right, and on the left, in the clouds, the chariot of Juno, drawn by peacocks.

Moreelse’s Vertumnus and Pomona.—An interesting mythological picture by Moreelse is called Vertumnus and Pomona. The latter is seated under the trees to the left with her face turned toward the spectator. She wears a yellow silk dress with a blue tunic; her right hand holds a pruning-hook and her left a bunch of white grapes. A little behind her Vertumnus is seen in the guise of an old woman, leaning on a stick and extending the left hand.

De Vos’s Allegory, Crowned by Riches.—Cornelius de Vos (1585-1651), pupil of David Remens, has an Allegory, Crowned by Riches. On the right, under a red tent fringed with gold, a young woman in a green dress and mantle embroidered with gold, a crown of gold in her right hand and a sceptre in her left, stands majestically. Before her kneels a farmer to be crowned, and he extends his hand to the fruits and vegetables in the foreground. On a table to the right, covered with a crimson cloth, are various objects of gold and silver. Farther back under the tent are two women, a negro, and Love. In the middle distance is Time with his scythe. To the left in the background, a landscape, where people are tilling the soil.

An Allegory by De Wit.—Jacob de Wit also has an Allegory. Minerva, in a landscape, is seated with her right hand on her harp; in front of her, four naked children are sporting, and one is playing a harp.

A Classical Scene by Van der Ulft.—Jacob van der Ulft has a picture, painted in 1674, representing The Betrothed of Allucius Led as Prisoner Before Scipio. Ruins of temples and city walls and gates are seen to right and left. In the foreground are Scipio, the betrothed of Allucius, and other prisoners. Farther back are Roman soldiers with chariots, elephants, camels, and spoils of war. In the background a town is seen at the base of the mountains.

Achilles Recognized by Ulysses, by Van Limborch.—Achilles Recognized by Ulysses, by H. van Limborch, shows Achilles kneeling on the ground in the dress of a woman with a blue chalmys, having a sword in his right and the scabbard in his left hand; he is recognized by Ulysses who, with another person, is standing behind him. On the ground lie a helmet, a shield, several precious objects, and some jewels which are being examined and handled by the wives of Lycomedes, King of Scyros. In the background on the left is the peristyle of a palace; and on the right are several persons near a statue and a boat.

De Vriendt’s The Death of Lucrezia.—The Death of Lucrezia, by Frans Floris de Vriendt, is painted in a similar vein. Lucrezia is on her knees, in a despairing pose, and about to stab herself. In the background several buildings are seen.

Painters of Purely Dutch Scenery.—Turning now to painters of purely Dutch scenery and outdoor life, the Boijmans contains many pictures by the followers of Rembrandt, Potter, Ruisdael, and Wouwermans. Some of these display the open country, and others the life by the wayside, in the streets, and in the vicinity of towns. There are many charming pictures of the outdoor life of the gentry, the tradesmen, and the farmers. We have scenes of hunting, hawking, fishing, promenades, and cavalcades, with beautiful landscape surroundings, and several pictures of the farm, pure and simple.

Three Pictures by Jacob Ruisdael.—Jacob Ruisdael has one picture, The Corn Field, which represents a hilly landscape. In the foreground brushwood, heath, and moss; on the right two oaks and, on an incline, a wheat-field partly cut, and mowers who are resting. On the horizon, to the left, is the sea with a few sails upon it.

Another picture is called A Sandy Road, and on this, which leads through brushwood and oak-trees, trudge two persons. On the right is a pool partly hidden in shadow.

The third picture by Ruisdael represents The Old Fish-Market at Amsterdam. On the right is the tower of the old church; in the foreground are the fish-venders sitting at their stalls and many promenaders; and in the background is the canal, on which boats are lying and sails spread out to dry. The figures were painted by Gerard van Battem.

A Wooded Landscape by Izack van Ruisdael.—Izack van Ruisdael (1628 or 9-1677) is represented by A Wooded Landscape, signed and dated 1665. Water is seen to the right, as well as in the foreground, and six cows are standing in it. On the left are several tall trees, beneath which are cows and sheep; and far in the distance some men are fishing from the bank.

A Wooded Landscape by Hobbema.—A Wooded Landscape and Landscape by Hobbema are characteristic examples. The first shows fine treatment of light. The sun piercing through thick clouds lights the middle distance, while foreground and background are in shadow. Among the tall trees in the background a barn is seen; then a boy and a woman fording the stream; a shepherd and some sheep near a willow tree; then come two tree-trunks and some brushwood; then a winding road, on which a peasant and a boy are walking; then a sheet of water bordered by willows.

Another Landscape by Hobbema.—The other Landscape also shows a sheet of water in the foreground where two persons are fishing; then a tree-trunk, half of which is in the water; then some trees on a rising ground. A couple of ducks are swimming in the water. In the background a peasant’s house is seen, before which a man is standing; and on the left a second clump of trees, where two persons are walking. The background is brilliantly lighted; but the middle distance and the foreground are in shadow.

Van Kessel’s Landscape near Haarlem.—Jan van Kessel (1648-98), about whom little is known, and some of whose works follow the style of J. van Ruisdael, has here a Landscape near Haarlem and a View of Amsterdam. The first shows a brightly lighted foreground with a road leading to a village on the right, the ruins of the Castle of Brederode. Huntsmen and dogs, a shepherd and sheep, and some swans in a moat, by Lingelbach, enliven the scene. The middle distance is in shadow, and here we have trees, fields, and dunes. The background shows a brightly lighted landscape stretching away into the distance.

His View of Amsterdam.—His View of Amsterdam shows a canal where a man is rowing a boat, a large boat fastened on the right, some swans floating in the water on the left. The canal, shut by the gates, is crossed by a stone bridge, on which some people are walking. In the corner is a quay bordered with trees, and on the horizon a clock-tower.

One of Isaak van Ostade’s Rare Pictures.—Isaak van Ostade (1621-49), a pupil of his brother Adriaen, usually painted inns and village scenes, now extremely rare. Neither the Mauritshuis nor the Rijks owns an example. Hence the Inn among the Dunes is of great interest. A chariot, drawn by a white horse, is arriving before an inn among the trees on the left. The horse is being fed, and some travellers and children stand in front of the door. A little boy is leading some pigs across the foreground; two horsemen are galloping away in the distance, and the horizon shows the dunes and a clock-tower.

A. van der Neer’s Moonlit Landscape.—A Moonlit Landscape by Aert van der Neer is a striking picture with simple materials. A road, bordered with trees, is seen in the foreground, with two persons approaching; in the middle distance are some cows on the banks of a canal, and peasants’ houses under the trees, with a clock-tower in the background. The sky is stormy, and the moon is rising and throwing its rays on the water.

A. van de Velde’s Landscape and Blacksmith.—Adriaen van de Velde has a Landscape with Animals and A Blacksmith. The first shows a flat landscape with a light brown ox, and a little farther away a sheep lying down, and also a cow; in the background a farmhouse is seen beneath the trees, and a vast meadow dotted with cows stretches away to the right. The Blacksmith is in the background at the door of his forge, before which a boy stands with a gray horse. An ass, a cock, and some hens lend additional animation to the little scene.

Two Norwegian Landscapes by Everdingen.—Albert van Everdingen is represented by two fine examples of the Norwegian landscape, for which he is famous. The scenes are lively, with human figures in both.

A Hunting Scene by Keirinckx and Poelenburg.—Alexander Keirinckx (b. 1600) was a painter of landscapes and views of towns. He painted with much truth to nature, his foliage especially being executed with rare perfection. Poelenburg, as a rule, painted the figures in his pictures, as he did in A Forest, signed and dated 1630. This is a hunting scene, with a gentleman on horseback followed by hounds under tall trees in the foreground. Other figures are a huntsman sounding a call, two other hunters, and a stag in the distance among the trees.

Verboom’s Evening.—Abraham Hendricksz Verboom (seventeenth century) is represented by Evening, showing trees in the foreground, huntsmen and dogs in the middle distance lighted by the setting sun, and behind a wooden fence a farmhouse. In the background a clock-tower appears on the right, while a rocky landscape extends to the left.

Nymegen’s Swiss Landscape.—Gerard van Nymegen (1735-1808) was the pupil of his father D. van Nymegen. He visited Germany and Switzerland. The Boijmans owns a Swiss Landscape, in which a majestic and foaming cascade plunges down the rocks; while, on the left, in the foreground, is a large fallen tree. Shepherds and sheep are crossing a bridge.

Van der Heyde’s Ruined Castle.—A good example of Jan van der Heyde is A Ruined Castle. The scene is a courtyard with a large tree, under which is seated a shepherd playing a flute; a horseman is in a gateway on the left; and several persons are standing on a stone bridge on the right. A few clouds are floating across the clear sky. The picture is much admired for its light and shadow.

Donck’s Coming Home from Shooting.—Gerrit Donck has a canvas called Coming Home from Shooting, with a cottage, two gentlemen, a woman, a peasant, and a boy. In the centre, some dead game lies on an inverted tub. One gentleman is seated; he points to the birds and talks to the woman. The other gentleman holds his gun and listens to what the peasant has to say. The boy looks on. Through the open door on the right we see a landscape in the style of J. van Goyen.

P. Wouwermans’s Gentleman on Horseback.—A Gentleman on Horseback is by Philips Wouwermans. Mounted on a gray horse the rider takes his way through a sandy landscape toward the dunes that are seen on the left. He wears a gray costume embroidered with gold, a black hat with a white feather, and high black boots. In the background are trees, and on the right is a pavilion.

An Admired Picture by E. van de Velde.—Esais van de Velde’s Cavalier has always been greatly admired. Vosmaer says: “This little figure, seen from behind, sitting so squarely and easily on his horse, seems really a personage of life size; it is almost an equestrian statue. The horse is rearing, and the rider, whose back is turned to the spectator, wears a felt hat, a blue cloak, and high black riding-boots.”

P. Wouwermans’s Pillaging Soldiers.—Philips Wouwermans once again displays the pleasure he takes in painting horses in his Pillaging Soldiers. In a hilly country and on the banks of a river a soldier on a white horse is aiming at the cheek of a peasant who is begging for mercy on his knees; one individual lies stretched out on the ground; and on the right a woman with her child in her arms is being pursued by a soldier. In the middle distance, a horseman is carrying off his booty, and on the left two horsemen are pursuing the fugitives. A village in flames appears in the background.

Verschuring’s Horse-Shoer.—Hendrick Verschuring (1627-90) was a painter of social life, portraits, and figures, and was a pupil of Dirk Govertsz and Jan Both. He visited Italy. His picture here is called A Horse-Shoer. Before the steps of the old town hall of Amsterdam (represented also in Beerstraten’s picture in this gallery) a man is shoeing a white horse. Farther back stands a man in a red cloak; to the right some beggars with a dog. Among the trees in the background a horseman is disappearing.

A Spirited Forest Scene by Looten.—Another landscape painter of this period was Jan Looten, who died in England in 1660. Like so many of his contemporaries, he employed others, especially Nicolaes Berchem, to enliven his scenery with figures. His large picture, A Forest, signed and dated 1658, is a spirited scene of ladies and gentlemen mounted, with hawks on their fists and followed by falconers. The landscape is prettily diversified with woods, streams, and hills.

The Dunes, by J. Wouwermans.—Jan Wouwermans (1629-66), pupil of his brother Philips, has a picture of The Dunes. In the middle of the picture is a watercourse, which is crossed by a bridge and loses itself behind a hill over which is seen the roof of a house.

A Sunny Picture by Molenaer.—Nicolaas Molenaer (d. 1676) has a sunny picture of a Bleaching Ground. In the foreground is a man in a boat on a stretch of water. To the right is the bleaching ground, in which people are busy spreading out the linen; and on the left are cottages, with tall trees behind.

P. de Molyn’s Farm.—Pieter de Molyn the Elder (?-1661) has a pretty picture of a farm, where two peasant men are talking to a peasant woman. A very large tree stands in the front in full light, and behind the hedge are a hayrick and the house.

Murant’s Farm.—Another farm is the work of Emanuel Murant. A large tree and a sheet of water occupy the foreground. Near the latter a goat is lying; then come three pigs before a stable, and three sheep and a peasant. A pigeon-house on four poles and a hay-wagon are seen in the background.

Three Good Landscape-painters.—Jan Breughel (1601-78) painted so much like his father (“Velvet”) that it is hard to distinguish the one from the other. His two village scenes are full of the country and rural life. Michiel Carree (1666-1747) was another painter of the country. His Wooded Landscape with Cattle has a mountainous background; it is animated by a shepherd, an ass, two oxen, two goats, a ram, and several lambs. Cornelis Decker (d. 1678) was a pupil of Salomon Ruisdael, whom he greatly resembles in style. His landscape depicts a peasant’s cot half hidden among trees on the bank of a stream. On a plank crossing the latter a woman is washing clothes; on the right are two persons in a boat; on the horizon are trees and a clock-tower.

Netscher’s Family Scene.—Netscher’s Family Scene, painted in 1667, shows a group in a garden in front of an imposing house. A gentleman in a long brown wig leans on the base of a pillar; behind him is a statue of Justice, and beside him a lady in white satin with a child on her knee. Near her are two young girls; one is in red silk, the other in blue satin. They are making floral crowns, while three other children are twining flowers around a statue of Love. On the left, in the foreground, is a handsome stone vase containing a plant.

Two Landscapes.—Pieter Jansz van As has a typical Dutch landscape with rustic cottages, goats, shepherds, etc. Jan van Gool (1685-1763) was a pupil of Terwesten and Van der Does. His Landscape and Animals is a milking scene in a meadow, wherein are also a dog, goat, sheep, and lambs. Trees, meadows, and a town close the distance.

One of Koninck’s Very Scarce Pictures.—Jacob Koninck (fl. 1640) was a pupil of A. van de Velde; his pictures are very scarce. Landscape with Animals shows sheep and cattle browsing and lying down, with a young shepherd presumably cutting his name on a tree-trunk. Banks of trees and a farmhouse close the background.

A Charming Landscape by P. van der Leeuw.—Another little-known landscape-painter, Pieter van der Leeuw (fl. 1670), was a son and pupil of Sebastiaen van der Leeuw. He has a charming Landscape and Animals; the animals consist of two oxen drinking at a stream, a ram, two ewes, a goat, a sheep, and two lambs. A shepherd and shepherdess rest under a tree. The color and composition are excellent.

Michau’s Landscape with Cottages.—Theobald Michau (1676-1765) modelled himself on D. Teniers the Younger. His Landscape with Peasants’ Cottages is full of the spirit of humble life. A woman sits at her door with a child on her lap, talking to three neighbors; another is washing kitchen utensils; a man and a dog are approaching. On the left there are tall trees, and five cows beside a stream; and farther back are cottages and a church-tower above trees.

A Characteristic Picture by Van der Poel.—Egbert van der Poel has here a characteristic picture, Fire at Night in a Village House. The house in flames occupies the middle of the picture; many persons are trying to put out the fire, and some are throwing water upon it. Several neighboring houses and a clock-tower are lighted by the glow of the flames.

Van Straaten’s Washerwoman.—Bruno van Straaten, who was born in Utrecht in 1786, is represented by The Washerwoman. She is represented as busy outside the walls of the town; near her are houses, trees, and a windmill.

Van Os’s Farrier.—Pieter Frederik van Os (b. 1808), a pupil of his father, Pieter Gerardus, has a canvas called The Farrier. In this, two men are shoeing a white horse in front of an old forge.

Cuijp’s Stable.—Aelbert Cuijp’s picture The Stable shows two dappled horses seen from the back in a stable; in the foreground are seen a stable-boy, a goat, some stable utensils, and a brown dog.

An Interesting Kermesse by Droochsloot.—Joost Cornelisz Droochsloot, a native of Utrecht, who was born about 1586 and died after 1666, has an interesting Kermesse. The scene is a village street, where a great number of peasants are drinking, singing, and quarrelling. The houses are half hidden by trees, and in the background is seen a clock-tower, on the summit of which a red flag is floating.

An Interesting Picture of Low Life.—An interesting picture by Govert Camphuysen, who lived in the seventeenth century, called Wagon Full of Drunken Peasants before an Inn, shows a wagon drawn by a white and a brown horse standing before an inn. About half a dozen men and women are seated in it drinking and singing, and there is a fiddler upon the front seat. The driver is cutting some bread; by the door stands the hostess, who is pouring beer into a pewter mug; a man with glass in hand is seen at an open window; a beggar stands by the wagon; and a horseman is riding along the road.

A Dutch Landscape by Van Os.—Georgius Jacobus Johannes van Os has a landscape. The scene is in Guelderland. Trees and a wheat field occupy the background and middle distance; and in the foreground are seen sheep and cows, painted by his brother, Pieter Gerardus van Os.

Maria J. Ommeganck’s Landscape with Sheep.—Maria Jacoba Ommeganck (1760-1849) is represented in this gallery by a Landscape with Sheep. The scenery is mountainous. In the foreground two sheep are lying down; in the middle distance a brown sheep is standing near a portion of a house; and in the background are a shepherd with his dog and some browsing sheep.

Two Landscapes.—Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch, born in Amsterdam in 1829, has a Landscape with Animals, representing cattle in a meadow bright with sunshine. In the foreground to the right is a watercourse, and in the middle distance a mill. A Landscape in Guelderland by Anthonie Jacobus van Wijngaerdt (1808- ) represents a sandy road through a forest along which a man and a woman trudge bearing fagots. The sky is full of clouds.

A Sunset, by Schipperus.—Pieter Adriannus Schipperus (b. 1840) has a Sunset. The red sun disappears behind the trees and is reflected across a pond surrounded by brushwood that occupies the foreground.

A Fine Example of H. van Hove’s First Period.—Hubertus van Hove (1814-65), the son of Bartholomeus, painted figure subjects, after having first applied himself to landscape. A fine example of his first period is the View of the Lakes in the Environs of Rotterdam.

An Early Production of W. Roelofs.—Willem Roelofs is represented here by one of his early productions, Landscape and Animals. In the middle distance are trees and a country house, and in the foreground a meadow with cows standing on the banks of the river. It is interesting to note that the cows were painted by J. H. L. de Haas.

Mauve’s Cows in a Shady Nook.—Anton Mauve is represented by Cows in a Shady Nook. Several black cows spotted with white are lying under the shade of the big boughs; another stands in the foreground near the water; in the background there is a ditch bordered with willows and tall grasses.

Other Modern Landscapes.—Among the other modern landscapes we may note: Landscape, by Apol; On the Dunes, by Artz; The Water-mill and View of the Village of Nuenen in Northern Brabant, by Vincent van Gogh; An Afternoon at Katwijk-on-Sea, by S. L. Verveer; Landscape with a Windmill near Schiedam, by Weissenbruch; Heath in Guelders in Autumn, by Théophile de Bock; Street View (The Hague) and March Showers, by J. J. van de Sande Bakhuijzen; and Summer (a woman and three children playing on a beach), by Blommers.

Jäger’s View of the Town of Alger.—Gerard de Jäger (d. after 1663) was a painter of marines and canals. Nothing is known of him. His View of the Town of Alger is signed and dated 1665. It is a plan rather than a picture, having an explanatory placard of the objects of interest depicted.

A Village Picture by Van der Meer.—Jan van der Meer (1628-91) has a picture of The Village of Noordwijk Seen from the Dunes, dated 1676. A hunter is talking to two women in the foreground; cattle and a bleaching-ground occupy the middle distance, while a church amid trees is in the extensive stretch of background.

Two Town Views of Van Hove.—B. J. van Hove has a Town View, where upon a square in front of a Gothic church three men are talking. One of them is accompanied by a dog. On a stone parapet on the left is seated a person with a basket on his back. In the background a canal is seen with two boats on it, and behind the trees on the quays some houses are visible. Another Town View by the same painter shows a canal with a bridge, beneath which a boat is passing. In the middle distance on the right there is an old Dutch house, a part of which, as well as the church with its clock-tower in the distance, is brilliantly lighted.

Two of De Hulst’s now Rare Pictures.—The pictures of Frans de Hulst, a native of Haarlem, where he died in 1662, are now exceedingly rare. Two hang here. One is a View of the Old Gate of the East at Hoorn, showing the moat surrounding the town, and various boats, in one of which the fishermen are drawing their nets. In the middle distance is the old fortified gate (built in 1511 and now demolished) and the drawbridge, and in the horizon a large sheet of water. The View of Nymegen shows some travellers arriving on the river bank in a chariot drawn by four horses; the city is seen on the hills bordering the river on the right, and beyond the walls and gates rises the Valkhof with its square tower. The river is lost on the left.

Town Views, by Vertin.—Petrus Gerardus Vertin (born 1820) has two Town Views. One represents some old houses more or less dilapidated, and persons carrying merchandise and talking; the second, a canal bordered with very old Dutch houses. On the horizon a clock-tower is seen.

Winter Scenes by Leichert.—Charles Henri Joseph Leichert (1818- ) has two winter scenes: one represents a frozen canal animated with skaters, with a frame of houses, a church, and a clock-tower; and the other a street covered with snow, with houses on either side, and many figures.

Van Beest’s Market.—Sybrandt van Beest (d. 1665) painted landscapes, marines, and genre. His pictures are rare. He somewhat resembled Van Goyen in style. In his Market, we see on the right a richly costumed gentleman bargaining for a melon with a woman who is seated before a table loaded with all kinds of fruit. Behind her are a man and two women in conversation; an ass drawing a cart is passing. To the left are a heap of vegetables and a woman is picking up a red cabbage. The background is composed of houses and a wall partly covered with verdure, and several women in front, also selling vegetables. The panel is signed and dated 1652.

De Witte’s Fish Market at Amsterdam.—Emanuel de Witte’s The Fish Market at Amsterdam is an interesting picture. In the foreground under an awning near her stall, where lie many kinds of fish, a fishwoman is standing and disputing with a lady who has a white handkerchief on her head and a blue satin jacket. On the right a fisherman is taking off his hat to her. In the background a part of the quay, Buitenkant, and the Y are seen.

Three Pictures of Fish-Sellers.—Frans van Mieris the Younger has a picture of a fish-seller standing behind his stall; he holds a whiting in his right hand and two baskets in his left; on the right are a tobacco-box, a knife, and a pipe. On the left are some trees, and the sea extends on the right into the background. Louis de Moni has The Fishmonger. An old woman stands at a window where dried fish are hanging; on the left is a spinning-wheel. She is talking to a servant who is standing before the window and who has a basket full of bread. Several houses are seen in the background. The Herring Seller, by Pieter Christoffel Wonder (1780-1852), belongs to this group. A young woman is seated before the window of her house and at her stall, on which are apples, cabbages, and onions. She has a pot on her knee and holds it with her right hand, while in her left she offers a herring for sale.

Two of Barent Gael’s Good Pictures.—Barent Gael (d. 1663) was a pupil of Ph. Wouwermans; and, like his master, painted battles and cavalcades with rich ordering, careful drawing, and picturesque effect. He sometimes painted more humble scenes, as in the Woman with Cakes. She is making these appetizing dainties in front of a village house, watched by a man and four children. To the left are a hedge and some trees, and in the background a few little houses. A beggar with his wife and child is trudging along the road.

The Village Inn is not less interesting. Here a gentleman, having alighted before the inn, stands with the bridle in his left hand and a glass in his right, as he talks to a man and woman seated on a bench. In the foreground a dog is lying, and in the background are two horsemen and some trees.

A Town View by Beerstraten, with Figures by Lingelbach.—A. Beerstraten, about whom little is known except that he lived in Amsterdam in the seventeenth century, has an interesting picture of The Old Town Hall of Amsterdam, built in the fifteenth century and destroyed by fire in 1652. The old building on the Dam and the adjacent houses are covered with snow. Persons of quality, and also merchants and peasants, are seen walking through the snowy streets in all directions. These little figures were painted by Lingelbach.

Job Berckheyde’s Old Bourse at Amsterdam.—Another architectural picture by Job Berckheyde (1630-93) shows The Old Bourse at Amsterdam, built by De Keyser in 1608-11, and destroyed in 1836. We see only a portion of the interior of this building under the colonnade, where many merchants are talking. Some of them are in oriental costume. The picture is beautifully lighted by the sun, which enters on the right.

His Brother Gerard’s Cologne.—His brother Gerard Berckheyde (1631-98?) has painted The Town of Cologne, showing the quay, the wall, churches and other buildings, with the Rhine on the left. The foreground is beautifully lighted. A brown and white horse, wagons, and boats enliven the scene.

Two Town Pictures by Verheijen.—A fine view of The Geertekerk at Utrecht by Jan Hendrik Verheijen (1778-1846) shows the church on the right and the streets enlivened with strollers, playing children, and a fish-seller. His Town View, where brightly lighted buildings are seen across the bridge of a canal, should also be noted.

St. Mary’s Church, Utrecht, by Saenredam.—Pieter Jansz Saenredam (1597-65) is represented by St. Mary’s Church, Utrecht. This remarkable church, demolished in 1813 or 1816, was a copy of a church of the eleventh century in Milan. It dominates the picture, although it stands on the right. Behind it are some houses, and in front are trees and a square, on which men and women are promenading, and children playing.

A Good Example of H. van Vliet’s Style.—The Interior of a Protestant Church, by Hendrick van Vliet (1605-71), is a good example of this painter’s style. On the left is the choir; in the centre of the foreground, an open tomb; on the right, near a pillar, a gentleman whose back is turned toward us, and who is accompanied by a dog. Between the pillars the preacher in his pulpit and his hearers are seen. The name and date, 1666, appear on one of the pillars.

A Splendid Church Interior by Neeffs.—Pieter Neeffs the Elder has a splendid Interior of a Catholic Church, showing the nave animated with many figures; chapels and altars are on right and left, and the choir is in the background.

Two Church Interiors by Bosboom.—Johannes Bosboom (1817-91) has an Interior of a Protestant Temple, with people walking about in costumes of the seventeenth century; and also an Interior of the Church of St. Laurence, Alkmaar, also brightened with figures.

A Noted Picture by Klinkenberg, and Others by him.—John Christian Charles Klinkenberg (1852- ) is the modern Dutch painter of towns, cities, and hamlets,—the Dutch Canaletto. He is a pupil of Bisschop and Louis Meyer. At first he was inclined to historical subjects, but soon turned his attention to street views. It would be impossible to enumerate them all,—the old water-gate at Sneek, the town hall at Zutphen, the town-gate at Hoorn, the market at Nymegen, the chancellory at Leeuwarden, the old gate at Haarlem, the old streets of Amsterdam, and the old buildings of The Hague. His noted picture representing a View of the Vijver at The Hague was presented to the Museum by the Rotterdam Society for Promoting Art in 1876. The Royal Museum is represented on the right.

The Maas before Dordrecht, by S. van Ruisdael.—The view of a town seen across the river has always attracted Dutch artists. Dordrecht and Rotterdam in particular have been painted by Jan van Goyen, Cuijp, and others. One of the most noted pictures of river scenes is The Maas before Dordrecht by Salomon van Ruisdael. In the foreground, to the right, is a shabby old pier on which some cows are standing, while others are in the water. Row-boats and sail-boats brighten the river, and one of them on the left is flying the flag of Dordrecht. The town is seen on the horizon.

Burger’s Opinion of this Artist.—Burger says that this artist formed his brother, and that he stands between Van Goyen and the glorious Jacob. The picture just mentioned he considers “as masterly as one of Jacob’s works. The distant horizon and the tiny sails, extremely fine in color, harmonize with the beautiful silvery sky.”

A Fine River Scene by Aelbert Cuijp.—Aelbert Cuijp has a beautiful View of the River in the Morning. On the right, at the foot of a high mountain, a tongue of land advances into the water; two shepherds are visible; some cows are browsing, quenching their thirst, or lying down; and the river is dotted with row-boats and sail-boats. On the left are some mountains, and in the background the town lies on the banks of the river.

One of Pompe’s Rare Works.—A View of Rotterdam, by a little-known painter, Gerrit Pompe (fl. 1700), whose works are very rare, deserves study. The Maas, animated with ships, occupies the foreground; on the left, the Admiralty yacht is under full sail, and there is also a row-boat; in the middle distance is a battleship; in the background are some other boats; and still farther away extends the town of Rotterdam. The painter has signed his name on a floating plank.

Pompe’s Rotterdam and Sonjé’s.—It is interesting to compare Pompe’s Rotterdam with the View near Rotterdam by Johannes Sonjé. Here we have the Rotter in the foreground, on which a merchant ship and a row-boat are seen. The river winds among the trees of the meadows, which are animated with persons and animals. Under the trees on the left is a farmhouse. Farther back are two sail-boats, and in the background is the city.

A Beautiful River Scene by Van Goyen.—J. van Goyen, the father-in-law of Jan Steen, was particularly famous for his landscapes and river scenery, a beautiful example of which is called View of a River in Holland. On the left is a jetty, from which fishermen are loading a boat with baskets; in the middle distance is a boat with fishermen drawing a seine; and in the background are a mill and some houses on the bank. Several other sailing and rowing boats are on the water, and on the horizon to the left is a village.

Avercamp’s Famous View of a River.—Hendrik Avercamp (fl. 1660) was famous in his day for his Dutch kermesses, camp life, landscape, and still life. His View of a River is full of life and color. In the left foreground are two fishermen, and on the left a seated fisherman’s wife. The men are dragging a big seine. In the middle distance to the right people are bathing and swimming; swans are on the stream, also boats with occupants; and there are houses on the banks.

River Scenes by Willaerts, Father and Son.—Isaac Willaerts (fl. 1650) has a View of a River. On the left is a village on a dike; on the right, a river with many sail-boats. He was a pupil of his father, Adam. The Mouth of the Meuse near Brielle, by Adam Willaerts, also belongs to this group. In the foreground on the left stands an inn with the sign In de Witte Zwaan (The White Swan), and before it on a cask sits a wandering singer, surrounded by fishermen and peasants; a little to the front are seen a gentleman and his family, to whom an old fisherman offers fish; on the banks of the river are groups of peasants, sailors, and fishermen, talking, embracing the women, and offering their arms to them for a promenade. Boats are arriving and departing, and on the horizon lies the town.

A River Picture and Two Others by Verschuier.—Lieve Verschuier has The Maas before Rotterdam. The river is seen on the right; on the left are the Bompjes (the quay bordered with trees), the Oudehoofdpoort (old gate), and the Haringvliet (canal). Merchant vessels are riding at anchor, and all sorts of boats are carrying merchandise and passengers. In the foreground is a boat with two fishermen. The same artist has here a Mountainous Landscape, and the old Oostpoort at Rotterdam, built in 1611-13 and demolished in 1836.

Jongkind’s Impressive Picture of Overschie in Moonlight.—The impressive picture, View of Overschie in Moonlight, was purchased in 1893 out of a bequest by Mr. Prainat at Rotterdam. After Jongkind settled in France he frequently visited Holland, and this picture was painted in 1872, during one of his visits. He was exceedingly fond of Rotterdam and its environs. Overschie is a village near Rotterdam, and the Schie, it may be noted, joins the Maas at Delftshaven; upon it is situated Delft. It is interesting to compare this picture with Gabriel’s In the Environs of Overschie.

Jan Storck’s Picture of the Old Gate at Rotterdam.—Jan Storck, whose Castle of Nyenrode is in the Rijks, has here The Oude Hoofdpoort at Rotterdam seen from the Maas. In addition to the old gate (built in 1598 and demolished in 1856), several boats are represented, and a yacht is just leaving port amidst salvos of artillery. The Maas is seen to the right.

Two Pictures Characteristic of A. Storck’s Style.—Abraham Storck has two characteristic works. An Italian Seaport has a jetty on the right with a large building and a stone fountain. Several persons are busy discharging the contents of the boats and galleys. On the left a sloop is going toward a Dutch boat at anchor. His other picture is A Dutch Port in Winter. A great hole appears in the ice in the centre; on the right is a pole on which nets are drying; on the left, a boat stuck fast in the ice: Farther along are more imprisoned boats, some houses, and a mill; near the bridge are a lady and gentleman in a sleigh; on the left, two persons playing hockey; farther along are some skaters and promenaders. In the background are two ships in the ice; and on the horizon, some houses and a clock-tower.

Two Marines by Backhuysen.—Ludolf Backhuysen has a large View of the Dutch Coast in Stormy Weather, dated 1682. Ships of various sizes are endeavoring to escape an approaching heavy squall. A marine, about one-third the size of the above, is a calmer but bustling scene of ships of war exchanging salutes at a place of embarkation.

A Marine, by Zeeman.—Reinier Zeeman (16— after 1673), whose pictures greatly resemble those of Jan Both and Claude Lorraine, is represented by a marine. On the left some vessels are in the roadstead, on the right other boats are off for the deep, and on the banks sailors and fishermen are seen.

Two Marines by Schotel.—J. C. Schotel has an Agitated Sea showing a brig at anchor and a fisherman’s boat. A lighthouse is seen on the shore to the right. Another, called Au Moerdijk, represents a steamboat plying toward the landing, and in the background boats laden with hay. The weather is calm.

The Port of Texel, by W. van de Velde.—A characteristic example of Willem van de Velde is The Port of Texel. On the left is a jetty from which large merchant ships are preparing to leave, on the right the Admiralty yacht firing salvos, in the foreground fishermen busy with their nets, a boat containing several gentlemen, and in the offing many boats leaving port.

A Sea-Strand, by Mans.—Fredericus Mans (d. 1673) has a panel called A Sea-Strand. In the foreground are fishermen, peasants, and women. A road on the right leads to a village in the dunes. On the left, the beach is animated with many figures and fishing boats.

A Marine, by L. G. Man.—L. G. Man (eighteenth century) has a marine consisting of several English men-of-war on a sunlit sea.

Sunset at Scheveningen and Two Other Pictures, by Schelfhout.—Andreas Schelfhout (1787-1870) has A Beach, with the sea in the background, fishing-boats in the middle distance, and a fisherman on the dunes, with his dog in the foreground. A Winter Scene represents a frozen stream where three children are playing with a sled; farther away are some skaters; and to the right, the village houses beneath wintry trees. Sunset at Scheveningen shows a beautifully lighted sea; some boats with fishermen occupy the middle distance; and the beach with promenaders is shown in the foreground.

H. Koekkoek’s Stormy Sea.—Hermanus Koekkoek (1815-82) was a pupil of his father, and, like him, a marine painter. His Stormy Sea, showing various vessels struggling with the elements, is full of force and atmospheric effects.

Two Beautiful Marines by Mesdag.—Two beautiful pictures by the skilful marine-painter, H. W. Mesdag, should be noted: Breakers on the North Sea Coast, presented by Mr. C. E. van Stolk in 1885, depicts a scene that the traveller himself may verify at any moment; and A Sunrise on the Dutch Coast, presented by the Society for Promoting Art at Rotterdam in 1876. This was painted in 1875. Beautiful in color and striking in composition, it appeals equally to the artist and the amateur.

A picture by Mrs. Mesdag, Moorland with a Sheepfold in Moonlight, was presented to this gallery by her in 1904.

David de Heem, One of the First Painters of Still Life.—This gallery owns many pictures of fruits, flowers, animals, and birds. David de Heem (1570-1632) was one of the first to devote his talents almost exclusively to still life. Neither The Hague nor the Rijks gallery contains an example of his work. He treated with great minuteness flowers, fruits, glasses, etc. Even during his own lifetime his paintings were much sought after, and high prices were paid for them. In his Flowers and Fruits we see a glass of Rhine wine standing in a stone niche ornamented with carved mouldings. The glass is garlanded with roses, honeysuckle, pinks, and chrysanthemums; and grouped about it are white grapes, peaches, apricots, plums, etc.

A Large Still-life Picture by Jan de Heem.—His more famous son, Jan Davidsz, who inherited his talents and tastes, has here a large picture of still life. On a table partly covered with a cloth of green velvet are arranged various fruits,—grapes, peaches, figs, and a lemon partly peeled. In the foreground is a pewter dish full of crabs, prawns, and hazelnuts; then come a blue porcelain bowl and a pewter plate with oranges and strawberries; next we have a basket covered with a blue velvet cloth, on which is a pewter dish with a cut ham. In the background is a box with gold and silver fringe, and on it a wide-mouthed bottle of Rhine wine, with a vine branch, a cooked crayfish, and some chestnuts. To the left are two wine glasses and a silver plate of plums, figs, and cherries. Well may Blanc exclaim:

“There is no eater so cloyed, no gourmet so blasé, who would not have his appetite restored by the sight of one of De Heem’s pictures; for here everything is exquisite, both the form and the substance, the viands and the fruits, as well as the way in which they are served. It is necessary that the eye should dine, says the proverb; and this is particularly true of feasts and collations given in painting.... De Heem has happily expressed the quality of every viand and every fruit, its rough or smooth surface, dull or shining, and even its stage of ripeness,—the violet plum with its thin skin, splashed with red and drab, the light down of the peach with its pale and purple tones, the plush envelope in which the hazelnut hides, and the green and split shell inside which we see the kernel. Moreover, this diversity of substances is not only rendered by local color but also by certain variations of the brush work by fine shades of touch. On the oak or marble table is placed an enormous glass vessel cut in facets, a patriarchal glass, all the ridges of which glitter in the light, and through the crystal of which we see a golden liquid, fused topaz. Sometimes it is a roemer, a cylindrical vase of Bohemian glass mounted in silver, a precious utensil transmitted from generation to generation. This is a picture that transports us to the intimate life of these domestic Dutchmen, attentive to all the delicacies of interior comfort.”

Jan’s son, Cornelis, has also a piece called Flowers and Fruits in the same style.

Seghers’s Flowers.—The striking picture of Flowers, by David Seghers, shows a stone cartouche with a little bust of Ceres framed in a garland of red and white roses, tulips, and many small flowers, around which hover numerous butterflies.

W. C. Héda, an Early Still-life Painter.—Willem Claes Héda (1594-1668) was one of the earliest Dutchmen who devoted themselves exclusively to the painting of still life. Héda was the contemporary and companion of Dirk Hals, with whom he had in common pictorial touch and technical execution. But Héda was more careful and finished than Hals, and showed considerable skill and not a little taste in arranging and coloring chased cups and beakers and tankards of precious and inferior metals. Nothing is so appetizing as his Luncheon, with rare comestibles set out upon rich plate, oysters,—seldom without the cut lemon,—bread, champagne, olives, and pastry. Even the commoner Refection is also not without charm, as it comprises a cut ham, bread, walnuts, and beer.

Van Gelder and Gillemans, Famous Painters of Still Life.—N. van Gelder (d. 1660) painted birds, animals, and flowers with great finish and delicacy. His Poultry consists of a dead cock on a black marble plinth, partly suspended by one of its feet from an iron hook fixed behind a partly open green curtain. To the left are two shot pigeons, a green velvet game-bag, and a fowling-piece.

Jan Paul Gillemans (1618-?) was famous for his still life. This gallery possesses one of his fruit pieces, in which grapes, oranges, lemons, plums, and apricots are temptingly displayed.

Ykens, Painter of Flowers.—Franchois Ykens (or Ikens) (1601-93), a painter of flowers and pupil of his uncle, Osias Beest, has a picture here that was formerly attributed to François Seghers. A stone cartouche, surrounded with a garland of roses, tulips, pinks, honeysuckle, clematis, etc., and bearing a representation of the mystic marriage of St. Catherine, is called simply Flowers.

W. van Aelst and his Famous Pupil, Rachel Ruysch.—Willem van Aelst delights us with his Flowers. On a brown marble slab in a niche stands an elegant vase containing roses, poppies, a pink, and other blossoms, around which a butterfly is fluttering. A snail is crawling in the niche. On a brown table-cloth with gold fringe, to the right, is an open gold watch with a green ribbon attached. The picture is signed and dated 1662. Willem’s famous pupil, Rachel Ruysch, may be seen here by a charming flower piece. A tree-trunk surrounded by red and white roses, poppies, convolvuluses, etc., and upon the stony ground, covered with moss and mushrooms, innumerable lizards, toads, snails, and various insects swarm. Butterflies hover over the flowers. Rachel Ruysch painted this picture in 1685, and gave it as a present to the famous painter, Ludolf Bakhuysen.

Pieter Boel’s Dead Game.—Her contemporary, Pieter Boel, shows the influence of his master, F. Snyders, in Dead Game. A dead swan hangs by its foot to a tree. In the foreground, near a pedestal, are arranged two partridges and some other game, with a gun and a brass hunting-horn. On the left is a hound; and, in the background to the right, an owl on a cage with a little dead bird in front of it.

Marseus, Painter of Lowly Animal Life.—Another follower of Snyders was Otto Marseus van Schrieck. He excelled in the loving rendering of lowly animal life. His Nest is of natural size, with eggs lying on the moss near some thistles, wild mulberries, and red mushrooms. Around it flutter some butterflies; on the right is a lizard, and on the left a Mayfly.

A. Breughel’s Still-life Pictures.—His pupil, Abraham Breughel (1631-?), went to Rome; but little is known about him except that his favorite subject was still life. Like so many others, his flowers and fruits are painted natural size. The principal objects in his picture are a silver dish with figs, a silver bowl containing roses and gladioluses at the foot of a column, and black and white grapes, apples, etc., in the foreground.

A. Cuijp, a Painter Catholic in his Tastes.—Aelbert Cuijp was very catholic in his tastes. He occupied a country house near Dordrecht, called Dordwijck, where he painted everything that struck his fancy,—men, animals, fruits, flowers, and landscape. The poultry yard is noticed in a Cock and Hen scratching in the straw, with a broom and some blocks of red stone conspicuously placed. A hare, two pigeons, and other birds on a stone pillar compose his Dead Game. A painting called Fruits represents peaches on a blue plate on a table, and, beside the plate, white grapes, cherries, and green gooseberries. On the left is also a butterfly. A charming jumble of peaches, black and white grapes, and various shells make the picture, Fruits and Shells, in which three butterflies and a housefly are also prominent.

One of Jan Weenix’s Many Dead Swans.—No Dutch gallery would be complete without a Dead Swan by Jan Weenix. Sir Joshua Reynolds admitted that he had seen no less than twenty during his visit to Holland. The dead swan is here suspended by the foot from a stone pedestal; on one side lie a peacock, a partridge, and a thrush; and near them a branch from a rosebush and a basket of fruit. In the background is seen a park with a lake, statues, fountains, and large trees.

Two of Mignon’s Best Pictures.—Abraham Mignon appears at his best in two pictures in this gallery called Flowers and Fruits. In the former we admire a vase on a stone table, filled with red and white roses, tulips, blue irises, poppies, pinks, convolvuluses, and ears of wheat; on the left on the table a mouse, snails, butterflies, beetles, and other insects are painted with rare delicacy and truth. Insects and snails also occur in the second picture, in which the fruits are placed in a niche, and consist of a bunch of black grapes, a peach, a melon, an apricot, and some plums decorated with a vine leaf, wheat, and small flowers.

A Still Life by Van Beyeren.—Abraham Hendricksz van Beyeren was especially fond of painting flowers and marine life. His Sea Fish is an evidence of his excellence in this line. On a table is a basket containing whiting and a slice of salmon; in front of the basket are a crab, some soles, some slices of cod, and a knife.

Van den Broeck’s Flowers.—Elias van den Broeck (1653-1711), a pupil of Jan de Heem, delighted to immortalize on canvas the flowers he cultivated in his beautiful garden. A stone plinth with roses and Indian cress; and, in front, chrysanthemums and creepers, a lizard, two snails, and butterflies are the chief features of his Flowers.

Van Os, Another Good Flower-painter.—Georgius Jacobus Johannes van Os (1782-1861) was a worthy successor of the seventeenth-century masters of this school. Flowers and Flowers and Fruits are artistically composed and lovingly painted. The former consists of an Etruscan vase filled with roses, blue irises, tulips, and anemones, standing on a marble table. The second picture represents, on a marble plinth in a niche, a melon, a pear, and a bunch of black grapes with roses, convolvuluses, poppies, and other flowers.

His Pupil, Hendrik Reekers.—His pupil, Hendrik Reekers (1815-54), has here Fruits, Vegetables, and Game, arranged on a marble table. A basket is full of white and black grapes, a cut lemon, and some oranges, plums, peaches, and an artichoke, mingled with flowers. Above these hang a partridge and a grouse.

Flowers, by Steenbergen.—Flowers, by Albertus Steenbergen (1814- ), consists of roses, poppies, lilacs, convolvuluses, nasturtiums, etc., arranged in a vase that stands on a marble plinth. On the right flutters a butterfly.

Still Life, by Maria Vos.—Still Life by Maria Vos (b. 1824) consists of a stone plinth partly covered with a piece of matting on which stand a white cock and a black hen, an overturned basket of oranges and lemons, a copper dish, and a porcelain bowl; and on the wall a stone jug with a pewter top.

Flowers, by Margaretha Roosenboom.—In Flowers, by Margaretha Roosenboom (1843), we have a silver vase filled with roses, standing on a table with a green cover. In the background, a green curtain is half drawn.

Two Excellent Hunting Scenes by Hondius.—Abraham Hondius (1638-91), who excelled in painting the different breeds of dogs and other animals, and hunting scenes, with much fire and action, has two pictures here. A Boar Defending Itself Against Dogs shows the furious beast at bay, with four dying or dead dogs under him in the foreground. On the left three more dogs are rushing to the attack. The features of the landscape are three trees, with a mountainous background. The other picture, of exactly the same size, depicts a Bear Attacked by Dogs. The bear is standing on his hind legs with a dog under him, and throwing another into the air, while he hugs the life out of another. On the right and left, more dogs are rushing to attack. There is a dying dog in the left foreground. On the right, in the middle distance, there are two trees near a rock, and a cascade, and the background is mountainous. Both pictures are signed and dated 1672.

Bird Pictures by the Hondecoeters, Father and Son.—Gijsbert de Hondecoeter shows his loving study of the gallinaceous tribe in Cock and Hens. In the foreground is a black hen with a white comb; and behind her are a sitting yellow hen and a standing white one; still farther back are three more hens, one perched on the branch of a tree. To the left sits a brown hen with a black comb, with a yellow-brown cock behind. The ground is strewed with oyster shells and straw. Three hens are in the background. The picture is signed and dated 1652.

Melchior de Hondecoeter, who surpassed his father as a painter of birds alive and dead, enriches this collection with his Dead Game. In a grotto at the foot of some ruins a dead bittern and two partridges are hanging. In front are two gulls; and on the right are a hunting-horn, tied with a red tasselled cord, a green velvet bag, a kingfisher, and two finches. In the middle distance is a fowling-piece with a shoulder belt and net. The entrance of the grotto is in the background on the left.

Four Portrait Groups by the Eversdijcks.—In common with all other Dutch galleries, the Boijmans is rich in portraits. Royalties, admirals, officers, ladies of quality, gentlemen, elderly men and women, and children are all represented. Three pictures of gatherings of officers at Goes, by Cornelis Willemsz Eversdijck, who died in his native town of Goes about 1649, and one by his son Willem, representing the same corps of archers, are the only important pictures of this class in the gallery.

Two Portraits by Mostert, and One by Queborn.—Jan Mostert (1474-?), who was a painter of portraits and altarpieces, has here two half-lengths of Augusteyn van Teylingen, Anno 1511, and Judoca van Egmont van der Nieuburch, 1511 (his wife).

Crispyn van den Queborn (1604-58) was a distinguished portrait-painter and engraver. His half-length Portrait of Hartogh van Moerkerken was painted in 1645.

Santvoort, a Portrait-painter after the Style of Rembrandt.—Dirk van Santvoort (d. 1660) was probably one of Rembrandt’s pupils; or, at least, he adopted that master’s manner. Not many of his pictures are known, and the majority of these are portraits. His two pictures in the Boijmans Museum, however, belong rather to the classical school of the Elzheimers and Poelenburgs. A Young Shepherd Playing the Chalumeau, wearing a brown cap with an ostrich feather, and a bright brown robe over a white shirt, with a knife and horn at his belt (green background), is dated 1632. A Young Shepherdess, half-length, turned to the left, wears a violet dress with red sleeves. A blue hat with a green branch is on her head and a crook over her right shoulder. The background is greenish.

Two Portraits by F. Bol.—Ferdinand Bol’s Portrait of a Woman represents a young woman seen in profile half-length, and turned to the left. She wears a red dress and a violet velvet mantle lined with fur. Beautiful ornaments of gold and pearls are in her hair and on her neck and arms. One hand rests on the base of a column, and the other holds a closed fan. His portrait of Dirk van Walijen represents a young boy with long curls, dressed in yellow satin, red tunic, and yellow boots.

Portrait by Gerrit Dou.—Among the most striking portraits is that of An Old Lady by Gerrit Dou. She is dressed in black velvet trimmed with fur; her bodice is of black silk, and she wears a large turned-down collar, and round her neck a gold chain with a pendent jewel. She has on a blue cap with a gold band. The head stands out boldly from the grayish background, and the expression of the smiling face is singularly impressive.

Jacob Cats and his Cousin, by Mytens.—Mytens’s Portrait of Jacob Cats, the Dutch poet, and his cousin Cornelia Bars, is also of interest. It was painted in 1650, and represents Jacob Cats seated at a table before a tent. He is dressed in crimson, and turns toward his cousin at his side, who wears brown silk. On the table, with its red carpet, are an open book and an inkstand. On the left is seen a hilly landscape with trees; and in the background an angel with a long white robe.

Portraits by Opzoomer.—Simon Opzoomer has a portrait of Rembertus Frescarode, one called Erasmus in his Study, and one of the Brothers de Witt in Prison in Gevangenpoort. Cornelis is in bed, and Jacob is seated by him with a book on his knees. The time is just before their murder by the populace in 1672.

Portraits of Two Notables by Mierevelt.—Mierevelt has a Portrait of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, painted in 1671. His Maurice of Nassau shows that prince standing by a table and wearing a richly worked cuirass, the present of the States-General after the victory of Nieuwpoort, and an orange silk scarf. He holds a commandant’s baton in his right hand, and his helmet with orange plumes is seen on the table. Mierevelt has here also A Lady of Quality.

Finely painted Portraits by Nason.—Pieter Nason (1612-90), who painted portraits and still life, and who has a Portrait of Willem Frederick, Count of Nassau (1662), in The Hague, has here The Portrait of a Lord, and one of A Woman of Quality. The lady is holding some yellow flowers. She is dressed in red silk with white undersleeves; a brown scarf falls over her shoulders; and pearls ornament her hair, ears, and neck. The jewels, silks, and satins are beautifully painted, as is also the costume of the lord in the accompanying picture. He is dressed in yellow silk with a brown mantle, and his lace cravat is held by a circle of diamonds. Trees form the background.

A Woman of Quality, by Pourbus.—Pieter Pourbus (1510-83) was a painter, geographer, and architect. His Portrait of a Woman of Quality shows her costumed in the Valois mode, with Mary Stuart cap, fluted ruff, and black robe.

Two Portraits by Netscher.—Caspar Netscher has a sombre Portrait of a Protestant Pastor and a brilliant Lady of Quality, dressed in blue satin with a graceful brown scarf. She is seated by a fountain. One hand is placed on her breast; the other is full of roses.

Pool’s Interesting Portraits of his Wife and her Father.—Of great interest is the portrait of Rachel Ruysch, painted by her husband, Juriaan Pool. This is a bust only. The lady is represented with powdered hair and dressed in brown satin with lace at the neck and sleeves. Her right hand is lifted and holds a veil. The background contains a column and a green curtain. Pool’s portrait of her father, Professor Frederik Ruysch, is also a bust. He wears a large powdered wig and a long robe with a band; his left hand holds a skull.

A Portrait Group by Maes.—Nicholas Maes is represented by a Portrait of a Gentleman and a Lady standing in front of a noble house. The lady, in black with a gray tunic having an embroidered gold border and a large collar, holds a little child with her left hand. The latter is dressed in white and wears a cap with a red feather. The gentleman holds his wife by her other hand. He is dressed in black, with white ruff and cuffs, and a mantle is thrown over his left shoulder. His right hand holds a glove. Behind them are a rosebush and flowers, and there are shrubs and bushes by the wall.

Other Portraits by Maes.—Another by the same artist represents Mr. Willem Nieupoort, Envoy from the States-General to Oliver Cromwell in 1653. He is standing by a broken column, and is dressed in yellow silk and brown velvet, a corselet, a lace cravat, and a red scarf. Near the column are a sword and a helmet with red plumes. His wife, Anna van Loon, is also painted by Maes, standing by a stone balustrade. She wears a dress of red velvet with a tunic of yellow silk, a gray veil, and pearls in her hair. In her left hand she holds some oranges, and her right clasps that of a little girl in white. Trees occupy the background.

A Portrait of a Priest, by Metsu.—Gabriel Metsu has a Portrait of a Priest, seated at a table in his study. One hand rests on his breast, the other on a death’s head. On the table, covered with a green cloth, are placed an open book, a crucifix, and a sheet of paper. A glove, books, and a half-drawn curtain occupy the background.

A Lawyer in his Study, by A. van Ostade.—Adriaen van Ostade has A Lawyer in his Study. This important personage, dressed in black velvet and a violet robe, is seated by a table covered with a Smyrna rug, on which are books, papers, documents, and a pewter inkstand. He is reading a document which he holds in his left hand; his right, resting on the arm of his chair, holds his spectacles. Behind the table there is a blue screen. An open door is seen in the background.

Honthorst has a Portrait of an Old Man, dressed in brown, and having a long gray beard.

Several Portraits by Van der Helst.—Bartholomeus van der Helst has one of A Protestant Minister, painted in 1638; one called A Man, and another A Woman (the two latter painted in 1646); Portrait of Daniel Bernard; and Portrait of a Lady and Gentleman. The latter, painted in 1654, represents the couple on a bench in the garden. The lady is beautifully dressed in white satin, with pearls and diamonds, and she is plucking a rose from a bush near by. She has a huge diamond ring on her thumb. The gentleman is dressed in black satin: in one hand he holds his large-brimmed hat; the other supports the right arm of the lady. The landscape, with its varied trees and playing fountain, was painted by Aldert van Everdingen (1654).

A Portrait by Jan de Vos.—Jan de Vos, who died about 1651, has here a Portrait of a Man, dressed in black with white ruff, and standing by a table. His right hand holds a pen, his left rests on an open copy-book.

A Portrait by Stolker.—Jan Stolker (1724-85), pupil of J. M. Quinkhard, has a Portrait of the Burgomaster of Rotterdam, Willem Schefers, seated at a table covered with a red cloth, on which are several books. He is dressed in black velvet, and wears a powdered wig.

Portraits by Simon de Vos.—Simon de Vos (1608-76), a pupil of Cornelis de Vos and Rubens, has a Portrait of a Man, dressed in black with striped sleeves and a large fluted ruff. His right hand rests on a table, and his left on his hip. He has also another Portrait of a Man, whose left hand rests on a chair, while his right holds a glove.

A Man in Oriental Costume by Van Vliet.—Jan Joris van Vliet, born in Delft in 1610, and one of Rembrandt’s pupils, can be studied here by An Old Man in Oriental Costume. This is only a bust; the hair is short, the moustache gray; and the costume consists of a black turban with gold ornaments, a crimson coat, black mantle, and a golden chain. His right hand rests on his chest.

A Huntsman by Verkolje.—Verkolje has a Portrait of a Huntsman seated beneath a tree. He is young, and wears a large black hat, a gray costume, and orange scarf. His undersleeves are white, his stockings brown, and his garters orange. His left hand rests on his hip, and his right holds a gun. Two hunting-dogs are by his side, and some dead rabbits. Trees occupy the background.

Van der Werff’s Portraits of himself and Others.—Pieter van der Werff has portraits of W. B. Schefers and his wife, of Johannes Texelius and of himself. The painter stands with his elbow on a stone balustrade, dressed in grayish blue embroidered with gold. A brown velvet cloak is thrown over his shoulder, and he holds his palette and brushes in his left hand.

An Admiral and his Wife, by Van den Tempel.—A. van den Tempel has An Admiral and his Wife, in which the former is dressed in gray and silver, and his wife in black and pink and jewels. She holds an orange in her hand; and in the distance a negro is seen with a dish of oranges. In the background a lifted curtain of crimson velvet reveals a warship from which a gun is being discharged.

A Portrait by Zimmerman.—J. W. G. Zimmerman has a Portrait of Mr. Joost van Vollenhoven, Burgomaster of Rotterdam in 1864-81, dressed in the robes of office, his right hand holding a letter and his left resting on some books on the table.

Other Portraits of Interest.—Other portraits of interest are Adriaen Backer’s Portrait of a Man; Hendrik Berckman’s Portrait of Admiral Adriaen van Trappen; Portrait of Himself, by Gijsbertus Johannes van den Berg, and Portrait of his Wife with her son on her knee; C. Bisschop’s Portrait of Prince Henry of the Netherlands, in the costume of the Royal Yacht Club; Ferdinand Bol’s Portrait of a Woman (two), and Dirk Van der Waeijen; Cornelis Cels’s Gijsbert Karel, Count of Hogendorp; Cornelius Janszoon van Ceulen’s Portrait of a Gentleman, and Portrait of a Young Woman; P. van Champaigne’s Portraits of two Artists; Jacobus Delff’s Portrait of a Man; Albrecht Dürer’s Portrait of Erasmus; Anthonie van Dijck’s Portraits of Charles I., King of England, Henrietta Maria, and Their Two Children; Gerbrand van den Eeckhout’s Portrait of a Child; Robbert van Eysden’s Portrait of J. F. Hoffman, Burgomaster of Rotterdam, 1845-66; Carel Fabritius’s Portrait of a Man, dressed in black with open shirt showing his neck and chest; Govert Flinck’s Portraits of Dirck Graswinckel, and his Sister, under a tree, in a landscape with ruins in the distance; George Gilles Haanen’s Portrait of a Young Man; Frans Hals’s Portrait of an Old Gentleman; Adriaen Hanneman’s Portrait of Johan de Witt; Constantin Netscher’s William III., King of England; Dionys van Nymegen’s Willem van der Pot (1733) and Sara, his Wife (1733); Nicholaes Pieneman’s William III., King of the Netherlands; David van der Plaes’s Cornelis Tromp, and A Gentleman; Crispyn van den Queborn’s Hartogh van Moerkerken; Jan van Scorel’s A Young Man, and A Gentleman; Pieter van Slingelandt’s Johannes van Crombrugge; Hendricus Turken’s (1791-?) Margarethe Agnes de Vries; Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne’s Prince Frederick Henry on Horseback with his Suite (en grisaille); and Abraham de Vries’s A. A. Vroesen (1639), and An Old Woman (1644). Musscher’s Portraits of Three Children, crowning the statue of a child with flowers, should also be noticed, as well as Jacob Gerritz Cuijp’s Portraits of a General, a Lady of Distinction, and Three Children. The last, a boy and two little girls, are beautifully dressed, and are playing under the trees in a charming landscape, with several buildings, including a mill and a church-tower in the distance.

Good Pictures of Social Life by Palamedesz.—Anthonie Palamedesz (1601-73) was a painter of social life, corps-de-gardes, portraits, landscapes, and still life. His art belonged to the school of Frans Hals. The quality of his work is very unequal, but many of his interiors are full of life and color. He was such a good painter of figures in landscapes that his aid was much sought after by brother artists, notably B. van Bassen and A. de Lorme. In The Hague Gallery he has two works that show him at his best,—Music after Dinner, and Merry Company; also a Portrait of Martinus van Stavenisse, Knight of St. Michael.

An Interior of High Life, by Palamedesz.—The Rotterdam Gallery has An Interior of High Life by this artist. In an apartment hung with gilded leather several ladies and gentlemen are talking and playing musical instruments. In the foreground there is a lady dressed in blue with a light red tunic; next to her is a gentleman holding a guitar. On the left there is a lady with a sheet of music in her hand. She wears a white dress and a yellow tunic, and beside her is seated a gentleman. In the centre of the room there is a table covered with a red carpet, at which two persons are seated. Farther back in the room several groups of ladies and gentlemen are seen; and in the background a chimney-piece.

A Musical Reunion, by Van Deelen.—A Musical Reunion by Dirk van Deelen (1605-71) is a scene in high life. Six gentlemen and four ladies are in a hall paved with blue and white marble. A gentleman who turns his back to the spectator is seen in the foreground. He is dressed in black satin slashed with yellow, a black velvet cloak, yellow stockings, red-heeled shoes, lace collar, and large black hat. At the right a lady is leaning on a table with a red cloth. She wears a black-and-yellow flowered dress with a red tunic and large lace collar and sleeves. Near the table, on which are a guitar and some books of music, are four gentlemen, one of whom is without his hat. In the centre a lady dressed in green silk is playing the guitar, with her foot on a foot-warmer. Beside her stand a gentleman and two ladies, one of whom wears a black dress with a yellow satin tunic and holds a book of music. In the background on the right there is a bed with green curtains and an open door flanked with columns at each side. On the left are two tall windows, and on the wall hang two male portraits.

An Architectural Painting by Van Deelen.—The Peristyle of a Building, by this artist, shows his love for classic architecture. A stone bath with steps occupies the foreground, and two men enveloped in long cloaks talk with a woman who is seated on the steps. Near it is a statue of Hercules on a red marble pedestal. Many people are seen in a distant gallery through the columns.

A Delightful Conversation Piece, by Ochtervelt.—The Collation, by Jacob Ochtervelt, is one of those delightful “conversation pieces” so popular in the seventeenth century. A young woman in a yellow satin skirt and a red velvet jacket bordered with white fur is seated on a tabouret of green velvet with her back turned toward the spectator. Her left hand rests on her hip and her right holds a glass of wine. On her right is a table with an Oriental carpet upon which stands a flagon of wine. By its side is an officer in a blue costume and large blond wig, who is handing some oysters in a silver dish to the young woman.

A Ball, by François Francken, Junior.—François Vranckz, or Francken, the Younger (1581-1642), pupil of his father François Francken and a native of Antwerp, has here A Ball. In the foreground a gentleman and lady are beginning a dance surrounded by spectators; at the entrance of the hall on the right a servant comes in with wine, and farther down against the wall and under the windows is a long table served with refreshments. In the centre farther back two gentlemen are talking to a lady; on the left a platform with musicians; in the background a large chimney-piece between two windows.

A Fine Interior, by Tilborch.—Of Egidius, or Gilles, Tilborch (1625-78), a fine Interior (once attributed to Biset) hangs here. In a very rich room hung with gilded leather, and from the ceiling of which is suspended a copper chandelier ornamented with a two-headed eagle, a lady is seated before the mantelpiece near a table covered with a Smyrna rug. She is dressed in white, with a red petticoat, and some red bows on her breast. Around her are six children of different ages, including one in the arms of a servant. Opposite to her is a gentleman dressed in black with white sleeves, accompanied by a dog; a little behind is a servant with an inkstand. On the left an aged woman dressed in black is seen, and two ladies and a gentleman enter the chamber on the left. Over the chimney-piece is a beautifully painted landscape, and on the left against the wall a large armoire or kas of black wood ornamented with gold, above which hangs a large portrait.

A Village Interior, by C. de Man.—Cornelus de Man (1621-1706) painted portraits, churches, and social life. In The Hague Gallery he has a Peasants’ Wedding, and here his qualities may be studied in A Village Interior. A joyous company of peasants, with a sprinkling of the better class, are gathered in a big barn. In the centre, a couple are dancing,—the man holding aloft a pewter pot. On the right a group are playing “hot cockles.” In front, there is a dog asleep; on the right, a little girl with a hoop; and on the left, a peasant asleep on a barrel. Farther back is a long table covered with food, at which several men and women are seated. A violinist sits on a barrel, and a guest is sitting on the table mimicking him with tongs; on the floor in front of him is an earthen pitcher with a pewter lid. In the background are two individuals, one with a drum. A black bird is on a perch close to the ceiling.

Two Pictures of Rustic Life by Molenaer.—Two pictures by Jan Miense Molenaer are owned by this gallery,—The Clarinet Player and Rustic Gaiety. The former represents a peasant’s house, where a man with his foot resting on a stool is playing the clarinet; his audience consists of two peasants, one of whom is sitting and the other standing by the side of the fire.

Music is the feature of Rustic Gaiety also. A table with a green cover is set with pewter plates and bread; seated thereat is a peasant, dressed in green blouse and wearing a red cap, his face turned toward the spectator. His left hand rests on his leg and he holds a glass of wine in his right. Opposite is a woman singing and playing the guitar; a little farther away another woman, with a glass of wine in one hand and a jug in the other, is also singing. In the background a peasant, seated near a barrel, is lighting a pipe, and still farther back a man is playing a fiddle.

A Village Interior, by Sorgh.—Hendrik Maertinsz Sorgh, who died in Rotterdam in 1670, and who was a pupil of David Teniers, reflects his master in A Village Interior. Here we have the interior of a barn where five peasants are eating and drinking around a table, at which is also seated an old woman whose hands are resting on a jug. On the left is a brick oven, and utensils of various kinds hang on the wall. Many articles are scattered about, including a leather slipper, a wooden spoon, some mussel shells, a tub of onions, etc. From the ceiling hangs a wicker bird-cage and in the foreground a cock and hen are strutting about.

The Market in Rotterdam, by Sorgh.—Another picture represents an animated scene at The Market in Rotterdam. In the foreground a vegetable stall is placed against the façade of a house. A woman carrying a copper pail is selecting some vegetables and disputing with the vender. Farther back more buyers and sellers are arguing; and the background is closed with some houses and the entrance to the Nieuwsteeg.

A Village Interior, by Wyck.—A Village Interior, by Thomas Wyck (1616-77), shows a room in which a woman is seated; a little boy kneeling has his head in her lap; by her side is a little girl, and other little girls are sitting on the floor; under the window on the left a child is sitting at a table with a red carpet; on the right, in the foreground, stands a barrel on which is a jug. A wooden stairway is seen in the background.

Two Paintings illustrating the Versatility of Quellinus.—Erasmus Quellinus (1607-78) was a pupil of Rubens, and painted history, architecture, landscape, portraits, and religious subjects, like his master. He was a strong colorist and his draughtsmanship is excellent. Two sides of his art are exhibited in The Ascension of the Virgin and A Woman in a Kitchen. The latter is a fine study of still life in the rendering of the various utensils. On the right a young woman with bare arms, a white cap, a red dress, and white tunic is represented down to the knees; on the left on the table and by its side are all sorts of pewter, copper, and earthenware utensils. Behind the table stands a young negress who is offering a bunch of cherries to the woman.

A Fine Example of Kalff’s Still-life Painting.—Another study of still life is shown in The Village Kitchen, by Willem Kalff, a fine example of this master. In the background a woman is preparing vegetables, a man stands near a ladder with a basket filled with vegetables, and another woman is coming through an open door; but these figures are subordinate in interest to the pots, kettles, and pans of shining copper; the meat hanging from the ceiling; the bottles, the casks, milk jugs, white linen, beer, artichokes, onions, cabbages, and other vegetables and fruits variously arranged.

Koninck’s Famous Gold Weigher.—Of single figures perhaps the most famous is by Salomon Koninck (1609-68?), pupil of N. Moijaert. The Gold Weigher, an old man with white hair and beard, is seated at a table. He wears a doublet of green velvet and gray fur, and a crimson velvet cap; he weighs the gold with the greatest care in a pair of scales which he holds in his right hand. He holds a piece of gold in his left hand also. On the table, which is covered with a red cloth, are books, a sheet of paper, a box of weights, and a bag of gold. The light falls through a window on the left.

Van der Neer’s Guitar Player.—The Guitar Player, by Eglon Hendrik van der Neer, is probably a portrait. Here we see a young woman dressed in a red satin skirt and a white satin jacket, seated by a clavecin. She is tuning a guitar; and not far away is a gentleman who has a glass of wine in his hand.

Pencz’s Savant in his Cabinet.—George Pencz (d. 1550) was a pupil of Albert Dürer, who also went to Rome and studied under Raphael. He painted therefore much the same class of subjects and in the same style as Van Orley. His Savant in his Cabinet is an interesting interior. The savant is seated at a table covered with a green carpet, his head rests on his right hand, and his left is extended toward a death’s head. He is dressed in red and wears a red cap. Behind the table is a desk on which are an open book and a copper chandelier with an extinguished candle. Through an open window in the background a landscape is visible.

The Drinker, by D. Ryckaert.—Another good study is The Drinker, by David Ryckaert (1612-77), a pupil of his father, Maerten Ryckaert, and who formed himself on Teniers, Brouwer, and Ostade. The man in a brown coat with red sleeves and a red cap is seated at a table with a pewter mug in one hand and a pipe in the other. A pewter plate and an earthenware jug stand on the table.

Pictures containing Human Figures, by Muys.—Nicholas Muys (1740-1808) has three scenes in grisaille from plays, A Study in Light, two Interiors, and a Landscape with Figures. The last shows a monument in the shadow of an oak, and before it a gentleman, lady, and little child in the costume of the end of the eighteenth century. A beggar and his family sue for charity. Near the monument are three other persons. Two ducks are being pursued by dogs in the foreground, a hut is seen among the trees in the distance, and a village lies on the horizon.

One of the Interiors represents an apartment of the eighteenth century, where a lady dressed in a green robe is showing a little picture to two gentlemen. The other Interior is a richly carved vestibule, in which stands a lady in a violet silk dress and a blue hat; by her side on the floor are a dead heron, a partridge, a hare, and some rabbits, and the live greyhound that helped to catch them. Through a door in the centre is seen the kitchen, where the huntsman and his wife are preparing the vegetables; and there are two other persons, one of whom is hanging a cage from the ceiling.

In A Study in Light the painter has grouped a number of objects,—a bust of Homer on a white marble table, a guitar, music-books, and a chair with a violin on it,—and lighted them from a candle in a silver chandelier. In the background a lady is standing before an open clavecin with a sheet of music in her hand.

An Interior, by J. B. Scheffer.—Johan Baptist Scheffer, who died in Amsterdam in 1809, has here An Interior, showing a room in which a young peasant woman is sitting at a table preparing vegetables. Beside her stands a pedler who has placed his right hand on her shoulder, while his left dangles a gold chain before her eyes. On the left, a little girl is amusing herself by scaring a cat with her dog; in the background an open door gives a view through the next room into the street.

Ary Scheffer’s Training.—Scheffer’s more famous son, Arie (1795-1858), inherited talent also from his mother, Cornelia Lamme, a very distinguished miniature-painter. He received his first instruction from his father and in Paris studied under Pierre Guérin. Géricault and Eugène Delacroix joined him in striking into a new path of art.

His Two Paintings of Ulrich of Würtemburg.—Here Arie Scheffer has two sketches—Heads of Two Children, and A Shepherd Under a Stormy Sky, and two large canvases on Uhland’s ballad representing Ulrich, son of Count Eberhard of Würtemburg. He first represents the young warrior who, having lost the Battle of Reutlingen, returns to Stuttgart and finds his father at the table alone. He has a cold welcome; and Count Eberhard without greeting him takes a knife and cuts the table-cloth in halves. In Scheffer’s picture Ulrich is standing by the table on the right, and the angry father is cutting the table-cloth. Exasperated by this insult, Ulrich returned to the army and, throwing himself into the thickest of the fray at Doffingen, was killed. The old count spent the night weeping over the body of his only son. The companion picture, called The Weeper, represents the bereaved father with clasped hands seated by Ulrich’s body, which still is in armor and lying on a bearskin in the tent.

Hendrik Scheffer’s The First Child.—Arie’s younger brother, Hendrik Scheffer (1798-1862), also a pupil of Guérin, was a capable painter whose work, The First Child, hangs in this gallery. A young mother in bed receives a visit from her husband, who is kissing her hand. On the right the nurse is seen with the child in her arms.

A Similar Picture by Cornelis Troost.—Another similar picture is by Cornelis Troost. The lady is lying in bed eating her breakfast. Near her are a cradle, a nurse with the baby, and a little girl. The wall is hung with portraits, and a clock and a painted screen are seen.

Brakenburg’s Malade Imaginaire and Interior.—Richard Brakenburg (1650-1702), a pupil of Ostade, has a Malade Imaginaire, in which a young woman in blue rests languidly on her pillow, attended by a physician, who is feeling her pulse. A little dog plays by her side, and several persons are variously grouped and laughing. A parrot cage hangs from the ceiling. This picture is dated 1696. A different phase of life appears in his Interior, showing a large room full of peasants, including women and children. They are laughing at an owl on a perch, because a man dressed in a black satin doublet is giving it a piece of cake on the point of a knife. A bird-cage hangs from the ceiling.

Bollongier’s Carnival.—Hans or Johan Bollongier, who lived in the middle of the seventeenth century, has a Carnival. A man and woman are dancing in a street, the former being dressed as a savage and carrying a club; an individual follows them with a “rommel pot.” In the foreground we see a dog, and a man in a blue toga, holding a sword and an imperial globe in his hands. Behind these persons a house is visible, the doors and windows of which are filled with people. The picture is dated 1720.

Jan Steen’s Feast of St. Nicholas.—Turning now to humorous pictures, Jan Steen affords two. The Feast of St. Nicholas differs slightly from the one in the Rijks, and represents the painter’s family. On the right is seated a young woman in a white satin dress and a blue velvet jacket trimmed with white fur. She is holding out her hands to a little girl, whose arms are full of spiced bread and other dainties. On the left a boy is crying behind the table, on which is a shoe containing a switch, and near him a servant, a boy, and an elderly man are laughing at his distress. The last has a glass of wine in his hand. Behind the group is an old woman, who is showing a piece of silver to the poor little boy to console him for St. Nicholas’s present.

Another Humorous Picture by Jan Steen.—Another picture which shows Jan Steen in his most humorous vein is The Operator, who is removing the stones from a man’s head. In Holland in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to say that a man had “a stone in his head” was only the equivalent for saying that he was “cracked”; and “to extract the stone from one’s brain” merely meant to cure him of his folly. The patient is seated in a surgeon’s office, and the surgeon, who is behind him performing an imaginary operation, ostentatiously places some stones in a basin that an old woman is holding in the full view of the patient. On the left stands a boy with a basket full of stones, from which the surgeon supplies himself. The patient’s arms are tightly bound with a rope of straw; a crow is pecking at his hand, and he is screaming with all his might. Some spectators at an open window are laughing heartily.

A Similar Picture in the Style of Frans Hals.—This may be compared with a picture of the school of Frans Hals, called The Quack Doctor. The doctor pretends to be cutting stones from the head of a man. To his cap is fastened a piece of parchment with Hebrew letters and three seals, and he wears spectacles. The patient is crying out; and a boy, dressed as a negro, stands in front with a basin full of stones. On the right is a table covered with a red cloth, upon which are scissors and other instruments, books, gourds, and a water bottle.

Cuijp’s Eater of Mussels.—Aelbert Cuijp’s Eater of Mussels has a double interest because the painter has represented himself here. The scene is laid in a forge, where the master is eating mussels from a plate that stands beside a glass of beer on a keg. Two little girls and a boy are watching him with great attention, and through an open window two gentlemen are peeping in from outside. One has a glass of wine in his hand, and the other is the artist himself, who is laughing heartily at the man devouring the mussels. In the foreground are seen a dog, a large jug, an anvil, some shells, an overturned basket of wood, a cat, and a hen. In the background are seen a blacksmith and many utensils.

Two Bright Pictures by Van Stry.—Abraham van Stry (1753-1826), a pupil of his father, the architectural painter, has an amusing Table Well Served. In a middle-class room a fat man is seated at a table, on which stand a fine roast and other dishes. He casts an approving glance upon a dish which a servant is just bringing in. Behind him another servant is pouring out some wine. This artist’s Village Inn represents a peasant on a white horse. He is taking a glass of beer from the innkeeper’s wife. A servant, a barking dog, a woman, and a boy are the other figures. The sunlight is very vivid.

Some Characteristic Examples of the Early Netherlands School.—The early Netherlands school is well represented by a few characteristic examples. Toost van der Beke, called “The Master of the Death of the Virgin Mary,” may be studied by three pictures,—Saint Jerome in his Study, the Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus, and Portrait of Joris van der Helde (who died in Ghent in 1569). Dierick, or Dirck, Bouts is represented by The Apostle Saint John, which was formerly attributed to Rogier van der Weijden. Saint John is seated in a landscape writing the first verse of his Gospel on a sheet of paper, and a devil is tormenting him.

“The Master of the Half-Length Female Figures,” a Dutch painter who is supposed to have worked at Bruges between 1520 and 1540, and who is known only by his pictures of saints on altarpieces and young women playing musical instruments, may be studied here in pictures called Golgotha and Young Woman Playing on a Lute. The latter is dressed in the costume of 1540, and she is singing from a music-book the words:

“Si jayme mon amy
Trop, plus que mon mary,
Se n’est pas de mervelles.”

Golgotha represents the Crucifixion. The Cross, bearing the livid figure of Christ, is in the foreground, and beside it stand the Virgin on the left and St. John on the right. The landscape is very fine, but is entirely Flemish in character, although soldiers are supposed to be returning to the distant Jerusalem. At the foot of the hills Flemish cottages are noticeable, and the sky is gradually darkened from the sun on the horizon, until it gets very black just above the Cross.

This may be compared with The Crucifixion of Christ of the Netherlands school, an altarpiece of the sixteenth century, formerly attributed to Bernard van Orley (died in Brussels in 1525). Like the former, it presents a green landscape with horsemen wending their way to the distant Jerusalem. The Virgin and St. John are kneeling at the foot of the Cross, and in the clouds are two female saints, God the Father, and the dove representing the Holy Ghost.

The End

Footnotes

1 This picture, representing Dr. Johan Deyman’s lecture in anatomy, was partly burned in the eighteenth century, and the fragment now hangs in the Rijks with the other collection of anatomical pictures from the Surgeons’ Guild of Amsterdam.

2 The figures in this landscape were painted by Lingelbach.

3 Blanc.

4 Crowe.

5 Bredius.

6 Crowe.

7 Crowe.

8 Crowe.

9 Blanc.

10 Crowe.

11 Crowe.

12 Reynolds.

13 Dr. Bredius.

14 Crowe.

15 Blanc.

16 In the Louvre.

17 Hymans.

18 Blanc.

19 Greef (Grif, Grifir, or Gryef), Anton, Flemish painter of landscapes with dogs and dead game, born at Antwerp in 1670; died in Brussels in 1715. He is supposed to have been a pupil of Frans Synders. There seem to have been two painters of the same name.

20 Victor, Jakob or Giacomo, Dutch painter of the seventeenth century. Pictures by him are in Dresden, Copenhagen, and Munich; in the latter, his Barnyard bears the forged signature of Hondecoeter.

21 Blanc.

22 Crowe.

23 J. F. White.

24 Burger.

25 J. A. Crowe.

26 Blanc.

27 H. Smissaert.

28 G. H. Marius.

29 H. Smissaert.