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The 17th century

Works made in the 17th century, anywhere in the world.

266 works · hang 7523 ·

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

Walk this roomRehang this room

Section 1, north wall

  1. 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
  2. A work made of oil on panel.
    Still LifePieter Claesz, c. 1625Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. Golden sunlight pours across a landscape with three people on horseback and two more people near a flock of sheep, a cow, and a mule in this horizontal painting. The people all have pale, peachy skin. The horizon is about a third of the way up the composition and is lined with towers on distant, hazy, pale yellow hills. Two of the horses are to the right of center, both facing us. The horse on the left is white, and the rider wears an azure-blue tunic and red brimless cap. The other horse is brown with a white blaze, and its rider wears a red tunic and black cap. That second rider points with a whip to the sitting and standing people near the sheep, to the right. Those two people wear brown jackets, and the standing man has a mustache. The seated person rests a long staff over one shoulder. About half of the nine sheep there lie on the ground, and the others stand. The cow dips her head down to the sheep, and the splay-footed donkey has baskets hung to each side. This grouping is in front of a copse of tall trees that nearly reach the top edge of the composition. The third rider is to our left and a short distance away. That dark brown horse gallops to our right. A short distance away, another herdsman along the left edge of the composition wears a red tunic and brown pants, and he rests a long staff on one shoulder. One cow stands and one lies down next to that herdsman. Sunlight rakes across twigs, leafy plants, scrubby growth, and rocks in the foreground, closest to us. Sailboats float on the waterways that stretch horizontally across the painting in the distance, and the land separating those bodies of water is dotted with spires, windmills, towers, and other structures. A dozen dark birds fly high in the sky, which takes up the top two-thirds of the picture. A bank of iridescent yellow and pearly white clouds trundle across the pale blue sky. The artist signed the painting in the lower right corner, “A.cuijp.”
    Horsemen and Herdsmen with CattleAelbert Cuyp, 1655/1660Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 1, south wall

  1. Snow Clearing: Landscape after Li Cheng, by Wang Hui, dated 1669
    Snow Clearing: Landscape after Li ChengWang Hui, dated 1669Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Herbaceous Peony, by Yun Shouping, 1685
    Herbaceous PeonyYun Shouping, 1685Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. Study of a Tulip (Wit en root boode), by Pieter Holsteyn II, c. 1645
    Study of a Tulip (Wit en root boode)Pieter Holsteyn II, c. 1645Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  4. A work made of black chalk, with touches of white chalk, on ivory laid paper.
    The Rape of EuropaCornelis Schut, I, 1635/40Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 2, south wall

  1. A work made of etching in black on cream laid paper.
    Holy Family with Saint Elizabeth and Saint John the BaptistElisabetta Sirani, 1650/60Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. The image displays intricate, swirling lines and textured shading to create an abstract scene. On the left side are fine lines resembling branches and leaves, with a small figure nearby. On the right side is a large, densely shaded form reminiscent of mountains or a rock formation. The elements come together to suggest landscapes and nature through imaginative shapes and line work.
    Sheet with Two Studies: a Tree, and the Upper Part of a Head of the Artist Wearing a Velvet CapRembrandt van Rijn, c. 1642Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. This is a drawing of mythical sea creatures in a marine landscape. The central figures are depicted as mythical beings, possibly mermen, with human torsos and fish-like tails, partially submerged in water. One figure prominently holds a large seashell with text written on it. Around them are various other marine creatures and features such as a distant rocky shore, birds flying in the sky, and waves creating a dynamic setting. The drawing is detailed in line work.
    Title Page for "Ornamenti di fregi e fogliani"Stefano della Bella, probably 1648Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. Album of Seasonal Landscapes, by Xiao Yuncong, 1668
    Album of Seasonal LandscapesXiao Yuncong, 1668Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 2, north wall

  1. Xu Jingyang Moving His Family, by Cui Zizhong, 1644
    Xu Jingyang Moving His FamilyCui Zizhong, 1644Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. Painting of Greek landscape, classical architecture, yellow, red robed man reading.
    Landscape with Saint John on PatmosNicolas Poussin, 1640Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. Queen Esther Approaching the Palace of Ahasuerus, by Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée), 1658
    Queen Esther Approaching the Palace of AhasuerusClaude Lorrain (Claude Gellée), 1658Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Section 3, north wall

  1. A Cottage in the Woods, by Meindert Hobbema, c. 1662
    A Cottage in the WoodsMeindert Hobbema, c. 1662Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. Shown from the shoulders up, a man and woman face our left in profile against a shadowy, dark green curtain in this vertical portrait painting. They both look steadily to our left, they and have pale skin and wear black. The man is closer to us so he overlaps the woman, whose profile is shifted to our left. A black cap sits on the man's curly, silver, shoulder-length hair. He has a slight double chin and soft jowls. A thin mustache curves over his upper lip, and a line of hair runs down his chin as a narrow beard. A broad, flat, white collar lies across his shoulders over a velvety black coat. He lifts his left hand, closer to us, in front of his chest with the fingers curled gently inward. The woman also has a double chin and soft jowls. Her thin lips are closed and downturned. Her hair is pulled back under a black covering, and her black garment has a sheen, suggesting satin.
    Portrait of the Artist's Parents, Salomon de Bray and Anna WesterbaenJan de Bray, 1664Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington