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17th-century Netherlands

Works made in the Netherlands in the 17th century.

91 works · hang 6830 ·

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

Walk this roomRehang this room

First room, north wall

  1. Wheat Fields, by Jacob van Ruisdael, ca. 1670
    Wheat FieldsJacob van Ruisdael, ca. 1670Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. This is a drawing of a mythological or allegorical scene. The scene features various figures of different ages engaged in activities around a central structure resembling an ornate draped curtain held up by columns. There is a celestial element shining down from the top, and an emblem or coat of arms held by winged figures at the very top. The figures are dressed in flowing robes and interact with each other and objects such as a globe and a staff. The composition is rich with symbolism, typical of artwork focused on narrative depth and storytelling.
    Title Page for G. de St. Vincent, Opus Geometricum Quadraturae CirculiCornelis Galle II, 1647Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Gathered in a round glass vase, a tall bouquet of flowers in shades of light and deep pink, sunshine yellow, and white with pine-green leaves nearly fills this vertical still life painting. Shown against an gray background, the vase sits on a narrow ledge, perhaps made of wood. A label with looping, cursive French text painted in gold against a baby blue background is affixed to the front of the ledge, along the bottom edge of the composition. The text reads, “C'est l'Angelicq main du grad Peinctre de Flore AMBROISE, renommé jusqu' au Rivage Moré.” A few of the flowers draw the eye, including a tulip and iris at the top of the bouquet. To our left, the tulip is mauve pink with cream-colored streaks, and one petal folds down to reveal the stamen inside. Next to it, a damselfly, an insect like a delicate dragonfly, rests on the vibrant yellow iris. The petals curling down from the iris are veined in muted burgundy red. Flowers filling in the bouquet below include a shell-pink cyclamen, a white gardenia, a closed blue and white striped columbine, a slate-blue grape hyacinth, lily of the valley, pale blue forget-me-nots, and a pink peony interspersed with leaves and greenery. The round glass vase has a narrow opening. A sprig of viola rests to our left of the vase on the ledge, and an orange, black, white, and brown butterfly perches on the stem of a pink cyclamen laying to our right of the vase. The artist signed the painting with a monogram and dated it in dark paint to our right on the face of the ledge: “AB 1621.”
    Bouquet of Flowers in a Glass VaseAmbrosius Bosschaert, 1621Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. A View of Bracciano with the Church of S. Maria Assunta, by Bartholomeus Breenberg, c. 1619–33
    A View of Bracciano with the Church of S. Maria AssuntaBartholomeus Breenberg, c. 1619–33Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

First room, south wall

  1. A work made of oil on canvas.
    The Music LessonGerard ter Borch the Younger, c. 1670Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. The Dissolute Household, by Jan Steen, ca. 1663–64
    The Dissolute HouseholdJan Steen, ca. 1663–64Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. A Young Man with a Chain, by Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1629 or 1632
    A Young Man with a ChainRembrandt van Rijn, c. 1629 or 1632Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Second room, south wall

  1. Several people sit, stand, or stroll along a dirt road that winds from the lower left corner of this horizontal landscape painting into the distance, past trees and cottages under a vivid blue sky. The horizon line comes about a third of the way up the canvas, and the cloud studded, azure-blue sky fills the space above. Sunlight filtered through puffy white and steel-gray clouds illuminates the scene from the upper right, creating patches of light and shadow throughout. The road meanders through the center of the composition and is lined with dark and sage-green shrubs, scrubby growth, and gnarled, crooked trees. Closest to us and to our left, two tan cottages are tucked into deep shade created by a grove of several tall trees. The cottages have steeply pitched roofs and windows flanked by gray or brick-red shutters. Three people sit and stand near the path outside the closest building. A short distance to our right, a man sitting on a fallen log carries walking stick and a bundle on his back. His body faces us but his head is turned to our right to gaze toward the man and woman about to stroll past him, headed in our direction. The woman wears a black dress over a white skirt, and a white head covering and shawl. The man wears a brimmed hat with a red decoration, a brown coat with gold buttons down the front and a wide white collar, and heeled shoes. Beyond them, the road curves to our left around a small pond in front of the second cottage. Two people crouch to set a toy sailboat afloat by the edge of the pond, and a brown dog sniffs the ground nearby. Two more people stand talking at the doorway to the second cottage and another dog leaps up at the half-door. Further along the road, the light becomes stronger, illuminating a horse, rider, and another person walking alongside the horse. The road continues to curve around a butter-yellow cottage nestled in a grove of trees on the right. A sunny field is visible in the far distance.
    A View on a High RoadMeindert Hobbema, 1665Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Enclosed Valley, by Hercules Seghers, c. 1623–30
    Enclosed ValleyHercules Seghers, c. 1623–30Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. Peacocks, by Melchior d' Hondecoeter, 1683
    PeacocksMelchior d' Hondecoeter, 1683Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Second room, north wall

  1. The image shows a slightly elevated perspective of a rugged landscape with dense vegetation and rock formations. The horizon is high in the upper third of the image, with a distant building or castle on a hill. The structure is silhouetted against the sky and partially obscured by foliage. Intricate line work and hatching create detailed textures and shading, especially in the trees and clouds. The color palette is monochromatic, using varying shades of brown and sepia to give the artwork an antiquated and rustic appearance.
    Firs in the DefileAllart van Everdingen, probably c. 1645/1656Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. A work made of engraving in black on cream laid paper.
    Drunken SilenusJonas Suyderhoef, 1642Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. The Witch (Night Piece), by Jan van de Velde II, 1626
    The Witch (Night Piece)Jan van de Velde II, 1626Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  4. A work made of oil on panel.
    Alpheus and ArethusaMoses van Uyttenbroeck, 1626Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Third room, north wall

  1. Study of a Young Woman, by Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1665–67
    Study of a Young WomanJohannes Vermeer, ca. 1665–67Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. The Mocking of Ceres, by Hendrik Goudt, 1610
    The Mocking of CeresHendrik Goudt, 1610Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art