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17th-century Netherlands

Works made in the Netherlands in the 17th century.

91 works · hang 749 ·

The rooms are imagined; every work on their walls is real.

Walk this roomRehang this room

First room, north wall

  1. Self-Portrait, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1660
    Self-PortraitRembrandt van Rijn, 1660Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Portrait of Gerard de Lairesse, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1665–67
    Portrait of Gerard de LairesseRembrandt van Rijn, 1665–67Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. The image shows a pastoral scene in black and white with fine line work. A small bridge with a circular archway crosses a stream. A dirt path winds through the landscape flanked by grass and bushes. A rocky cliff ascends on the left with a tower-like structure partially obscured by vegetation. The horizon features a cloudy sky, with swirling lines indicating motion. In the distance, a tall, thin structure, possibly a spire or chimney, stands amid faint hills and trees. The scene conveys a serene atmosphere through hatching and cross-hatching techniques.
    Cascade under a Stone BridgeJan van de Velde II, c. 1616Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

First room, south wall

  1. A sage-green harbor teems with more than a dozen sailing ships and rowboats under a pale gray sky in this horizontal painting. The horizon comes about one-fifth of the way up the composition, and dark gray and white clouds tower above. Light filters onto the scene through the clouds from our left to fall across the ships while casting shadows on the water nearest us. Painted in tones of slate gray and warm brown, most of the ships closest to us have their sails furled so the masts and horizontal yard arms bristle against the sky. The larger ships have cannons poking out of square portholes. On our right, a war ship floats with its ornately carved and gilded stern facing us. A flag flying from the tallest of the three masts has red, white, and green stripes. The artist painted his name on that flag, “R. Zeeman.” The ship is tied to a buoy with a length of rope, and an empty rowboat is tethered to the right side of the ship. A similar ship but with the sails hanging loosely is tied to a buoy just beyond this one. A row of pickets, like a fence, extends into the water behind these two ships. To our left, a rowboat full of men has pulled up alongside a partially sunken ship, its masts tilting toward us. A few people stand on two more ships nearby. A black temporary dock floats next to the leftmost ship here. A person mixes something that smokes on the platform, and another person stands on a board lifted halfway up the ship’s side, presumably working on a repair. Two women in another rowboat next to the floating dock lean over the side, washing clothes. Another fence encloses the harbor to our left, and a hut in the middle of the harbor is surrounded by a similar structure. Two rowboats closer to us are filled with men wearing tall hats and black or brown coats, and women wearing black bonnets and white shawls. More sailing ships and rowboats move back or around beyond the harbor, out to sea. Visible cracks cover the surface of the painting.
    Amsterdam Harbor SceneReinier Nooms, called Zeeman, c. 1654/1655Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. A work made of oil on panel.
    Alpheus and ArethusaMoses van Uyttenbroeck, 1626Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. A windmill stands on a promontory cutting into a waterway under a partially stormy sky in this square landcape painting. The promontory and mill are painted in muted tones of brown and rust orange, while steel-gray and white clouds encircle a topaz-blue sky above. The promontory juts into the scene from our left, and the front of the windmill is angled to our right so its golden-tan sails catch the light. Silvery water winds around the base of the promontory and extends to a dark green, shadowy bank on the far side. A boat in the lower right corner of the composition is rowed by a man wearing a red jacket and cap. A path runs to the water’s edge from the left edge of the painting, in front of the promontory’s retaining wall, which is shored up with stones or panels. A person in dark clothing close to the windmill seems to rest their arms on the retaining wall, their back to us. Closer to us, a woman holds a child’s hand as they walk down the path to the bank. A bearded man with tattered brown clothes and bare feet stands leaning against the wall near a woman wearing burnt-orange garment. She sits or kneels at the water’s edge in front of a basket of clothes and holds up a brown cloth. The olive-green forms of the trees on the far bank are reflected in the water, and closer inspection reveals two cows near the water there. Charcoal-gray clouds pile up along the left of the painting and span the top edge. There is a brilliant blue sky beyond and a screen of white clouds near the horizon, which comes about a third of the way up the canvas.
    The MillRembrandt van Rijn, 1645/1648Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Second room, south wall

  1. The image shows a landscape with rocky terrain, trees, and a stream. In the foreground, there is a bridge with a traveler and a dog crossing over the stream. The scene features detailed linework and cross-hatching to depict texture. The color palette is monochrome brown, resembling an etching or drawing style.
    Goat on a small BridgeAllart van Everdingen, probably c. 1645/1656Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. A work made of oil on canvas.
    The Dutch Whaling FleetAbraham Storck, c. 1695Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. Portrait of Elizabeth Spiegel, by Dirck Dircksz. Santvoort, 1639
    Portrait of Elizabeth SpiegelDirck Dircksz. Santvoort, 1639Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  4. A work made of watercolor and opaque watercolor on cream laid paper.
    A Horseshoe CrabPieter Holsteyn, the younger, 1640/80Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Second room, north wall

  1. This is a drawing of two nude figures standing beneath a fruit-bearing tree surrounded by elements of nature. The drawing depicts a scene in a lush outdoor setting, featuring intricately detailed branches and leaves of the large tree as well as an eagle-like bird perched nearby. In the background are additional trees extending into a forested area, and a winding path leading into the distance. The foreground includes various plants and the ground is littered with their leaves. The figures are positioned at the center, engaged in a gesture of pointing towards the fruit in the tree. The scene is rendered in fine details with attention to the texture and flow of the natural elements surrounding the figures.
    Adam and Eve before the Tree of KnowledgeJan Saenredam, 1604Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. A work made of watercolor and opaque watercolor on cream laid paper.
    Megasoma Elephas or Megaceras Jason and Six Other InsectsPieter Holsteyn, the younger, 1640/80Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. Rush Gatherers, by Nicolaes Berchem, 1657
    Rush GatherersNicolaes Berchem, 1657Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  4. A work made of oil on copper.
    Portrait of a ManJan Baptist Weenix, c. 1650Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Third room, north wall

  1. Aristotle with a Bust of Homer, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1653
    Aristotle with a Bust of HomerRembrandt van Rijn, 1653Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Wheat Fields, by Jacob van Ruisdael, ca. 1670
    Wheat FieldsJacob van Ruisdael, ca. 1670Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art