Floor plan

Time and place16th-century Netherlands

16th-century Netherlands

The image shows a landscape with a city in the distance, a castle on a cliff, fields, forests, and two figures with a dog hunting. There are sailboats on water and houses on farmland. The style is detailed with etching lines in sepia tones.
The image shows an elevated view looking down into a crater-like landscape with steep surrounding cliffs. The horizon is high in the image, obscured by rocky formations and rising plumes of smoke. The detailed drawing has a sketch-like quality with fine lines depicting the cliffs and swirling smoke. The color palette is monochromatic, using shades of brown and beige. Two figures and a horse stand on a sloped terrain, providing scale. The crater's basin is visible, with smoke plumes and rock formations in the distance, stretching towards the horizon.
A work made of oil on panel.
Otto, Count of Nassau and his Wife Adelheid van Vianen, by Bernard van Orley, 1530–35
The image shows a landscape viewed from above. The scene is oval, framed by tree branches on each side. Distant mountains form a boundary near the top. Delicate, finely executed lines create detailed foliage and landscape features. A winding path with a small figure adds scale. Lush trees climb upwards, with a muted color palette of the paper and dark brown and black lines providing contrast.

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in the Netherlands in the 16th century.

Section 1, north wall

  1. The image shows a landscape with a city in the distance, a castle on a cliff, fields, forests, and two figures with a dog hunting. There are sailboats on water and houses on farmland. The style is detailed with etching lines in sepia tones.
    The Rabbit HuntersPieter Bruegel, 1560Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. The image shows an elevated view looking down into a crater-like landscape with steep surrounding cliffs. The horizon is high in the image, obscured by rocky formations and rising plumes of smoke. The detailed drawing has a sketch-like quality with fine lines depicting the cliffs and swirling smoke. The color palette is monochromatic, using shades of brown and beige. Two figures and a horse stand on a sloped terrain, providing scale. The crater's basin is visible, with smoke plumes and rock formations in the distance, stretching towards the horizon.
    Forum Vulcani: The Hot Springs at PozzuoliJoris Hoefnagel, 1578Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. A work made of oil on panel.
    The Judgement of ZaleucusOtto van Veen, c. 1605Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 1, south wall

  1. Otto, Count of Nassau and his Wife Adelheid van Vianen, by Bernard van Orley, 1530–35
    Otto, Count of Nassau and his Wife Adelheid van VianenBernard van Orley, 1530–35Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. The image shows a landscape viewed from above. The scene is oval, framed by tree branches on each side. Distant mountains form a boundary near the top. Delicate, finely executed lines create detailed foliage and landscape features. A winding path with a small figure adds scale. Lush trees climb upwards, with a muted color palette of the paper and dark brown and black lines providing contrast.
    The Boulder Crowned with TreesHerman van SwaneveltCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 2, south wall

  1. Diana and Actaeon, by Bartholomeus Spranger, ca. 1580–85
    Diana and ActaeonBartholomeus Spranger, ca. 1580–85Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. The image shows a landscape scene viewed from an elevated perspective. The horizon is low, with mountains visible in the distance. The scene features detailed brushstroke technique and a monochromatic palette. Trees dominate the left side, with two figures walking along a path towards the horizon. The color palette is black and white, accentuating details, light, and shadow.
    Three Men Carrying StaffsHerman van SwaneveltCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 2, north wall

  1. The image shows an oval framing a scene with mountains, clouds, and trees. Delicate etched lines create textures in the landscape. The color palette is monochrome. Two figures are sitting under leafy trees, with a structure nearby.
    Two Men Seated Near the WatersideHerman van SwaneveltCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. A work made of oil on copper.
    David Slaying GoliathDutch, 1600–50Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 3, north wall

  1. Study of Eleven Heads, by Jacques de Gheyn II, late 16th–early 17th century
    Study of Eleven HeadsJacques de Gheyn II, late 16th–early 17th centuryCourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. A work made of engraving on three joined sheets of laid paper.
    The Last SupperJan Harmensz. Muller, 1594Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 3, south wall

  1. Three insects are depicted in the image: a butterfly with dark blue and red wings on the bottom left, a larger butterfly with white, black, and blue patterns at the top center, and a dragonfly with brown and gold tones on the bottom right. The color palette includes rich blues, reds, browns, and golds against a neutral background. The central butterfly is positioned higher than the other two insects, with the left butterfly and right dragonfly symmetrically arranged below.
    Plate 13: Yellow Swallowtail and Red Admiral Butterflies with a Dragonfly (Broad-Bodied Chaser?)Joris Hoefnagel, c.1575/1590sCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. A work made of engraving in black on cream laid paper.
    Christ Raises the Dead Son of the Widow of NainJacob Matham, 1593/94Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. This painting depicts three people seated side-by-side outdoors. The central person is a young, nude child with curly, reddish hair and a red beaded necklace, sitting on a red cushion. Their head is turned to the right. The woman on the left wears a white head covering, a sheer veil around her neck, a green dress, and a red cloak with floral designs. She holds the torso of the child and drapes a white cloth around its legs. The woman on the right has long, flowing reddish hair and wears a white dress or robe with gold detailing down the front, on the neckline, and on the wrists. She holds an open red book, and the child is turning one of the thin pages. All three people have pale skin. Above them, in the cloudy blue sky, there is a white dove with its wings outstretched, gold lines radiating from it. Above the dove, there is an image of a crowned bearded man with pale skin, wearing red robes and holding an orb. He is against a golden background with red dots that breaks through the pale clouds. The background shows a landscape with green trees, hills, and pale blue buildings.
    Saint Anne with the Virgin and the Christ ChildMaster of Frankfurt, c. 1511/1515Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 4, south wall

  1. View of Heidelberg, by Jan Brueghel the Elder, ca. 1588–89
    View of HeidelbergJan Brueghel the Elder, ca. 1588–89Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. The image features the upper body and head of a man in a circular frame. The man is facing slightly to the side and downward, with his body oriented to the left and his head turned towards the viewer. He has a prominent forehead, a defined nose, a furrowed brow, and a scrunched face. His hair is thinning on top, with longer strands curling around the back and sides of his head. The man has a beard with similar curled texture as his hair. He is wearing a garment that drapes over his shoulders, with visible folds and a texture that suggests a substantial fabric. No jewelry or objects are in his hands, as they are not visible in this image. The background is plain with a light, sketchy look, focusing attention on the man as the central figure in the circular composition.
    Head of an ApostleHendrick GoltziusCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington