Floor plan

Time and placeFlanders

Flanders

A sprig of flowering rosemary lying against an ivory-white background and the twelve insects that surround it fills this horizontal painting. Stretching nearly the length of the composition with the cut end to our left, the rosemary has blunted, needle-like, gently curling teal-green leaves and small periwinkle-blue flowers along the ash-brown stem. Several insects perch on the sprig while others are seen as if looking from overhead, resting on the white background. The three largest insects perch along the top of the sprig, with an ivory-white butterfly with moss-green and black markings to the left, a black and golden, fuzzy bumblebee near the center, and a lemon-yellow butterfly with red antennae to our right. A tiny red insect, perhaps a ladybug without spots, sits on a leaf between the bee and yellow butterfly, and a small wasp-like insect rests on a leaf in at the lower left. Another mosquito-like insect alights on the surface nearby, next to a beetle with a honey-orange body with black, almost tiger-like stripes. A large cockroach sitting near the lower right corner has six spindly legs, a mahogany-colored abdomen, a black thorax, and tiny, black head. Spaced somewhat evenly across the top of the panel are a brick-red, winged insect to the left, a mint-green, beetle-like bug near a moth patterned with bone white and black, and a black, fly-like insect to our right. Lit from the upper left, the rosemary and insects cast shadows on the surface. The artist signed and dated the work with gray in the lower left corner: “J v. kessel . . f. Ao 1653.”
1901-39-151-a: DEER HUNT WITH HOUNDS [ABOVE]; SKYLARK HUNT WITH FALCONS [BELOW]; 1901-39-151-b: GOOSE AND DUCK HUNT WITH FALCONS [ABOVE RIGHT]; GOOSE HUNT [BELOW RIGHT]
A Mill with a Fortified Bridge, a Rowing Boat in the Foreground, by Roelandt Savery, 1596–1639
The Cathedral, by James Ensor, 1886
A work made of red and black chalk, with touches of white chalk, on cream laid paper.
Ceres and Bacchus, by Bartholomaeus Spranger, 1600s
Queen Henrietta Maria, by Anthony van Dyck, 1636

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in Flanders, from every century in the collection.

First room, north wall

  1. A sprig of flowering rosemary lying against an ivory-white background and the twelve insects that surround it fills this horizontal painting. Stretching nearly the length of the composition with the cut end to our left, the rosemary has blunted, needle-like, gently curling teal-green leaves and small periwinkle-blue flowers along the ash-brown stem. Several insects perch on the sprig while others are seen as if looking from overhead, resting on the white background. The three largest insects perch along the top of the sprig, with an ivory-white butterfly with moss-green and black markings to the left, a black and golden, fuzzy bumblebee near the center, and a lemon-yellow butterfly with red antennae to our right. A tiny red insect, perhaps a ladybug without spots, sits on a leaf between the bee and yellow butterfly, and a small wasp-like insect rests on a leaf in at the lower left. Another mosquito-like insect alights on the surface nearby, next to a beetle with a honey-orange body with black, almost tiger-like stripes. A large cockroach sitting near the lower right corner has six spindly legs, a mahogany-colored abdomen, a black thorax, and tiny, black head. Spaced somewhat evenly across the top of the panel are a brick-red, winged insect to the left, a mint-green, beetle-like bug near a moth patterned with bone white and black, and a black, fly-like insect to our right. Lit from the upper left, the rosemary and insects cast shadows on the surface. The artist signed and dated the work with gray in the lower left corner: “J v. kessel . . f. Ao 1653.”
    Insects and a Sprig of RosemaryJan van Kessel the Elder, 1653Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. 1901-39-151-a: DEER HUNT WITH HOUNDS [ABOVE]; SKYLARK HUNT WITH FALCONS [BELOW]; 1901-39-151-b: GOOSE AND DUCK HUNT WITH FALCONS [ABOVE RIGHT]; GOOSE HUNT [BELOW RIGHT]
    Goose and Duck Hunt with Falcons [above right]; Goose Hunt [below right]Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus, ca. 1596-99Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  3. A Mill with a Fortified Bridge, a Rowing Boat in the Foreground, by Roelandt Savery, 1596–1639
    A Mill with a Fortified Bridge, a Rowing Boat in the ForegroundRoelandt Savery, 1596–1639Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  4. The Cathedral, by James Ensor, 1886
    The CathedralJames Ensor, 1886Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

First room, south wall

  1. A work made of red and black chalk, with touches of white chalk, on cream laid paper.
    Nude Old Man Seated, Leaning on His Forearm, Facing LeftJacob Jordaens, c. 1640Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. Ceres and Bacchus, by Bartholomaeus Spranger, 1600s
    Ceres and BacchusBartholomaeus Spranger, 1600sCourtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. Queen Henrietta Maria, by Anthony van Dyck, 1636
    Queen Henrietta MariaAnthony van Dyck, 1636Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Second room, south wall

  1. A work made of oil on canvas.
    Dead Birds and Shot BagsPieter Boel, c. 1660Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. A work made of oil on panel.
    Aeneas Rescuing Anchises from Burning TroyHendrick van Steenwijck, the Younger, c. 1610Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. A work made of pen and brown ink on cream laid paper.
    Wooded Landscape with Donkeys and Goats, and Castle on Hill in DistancePaul Bril, n.d.Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  4. A work made of engraving on ivory laid paper.
    Fides, plate 1 from The Seven VirtuesHieronymous Wierix, c. 1598Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Second room, north wall

  1. Portrait of Nicolas Trigault in Chinese Costume, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1617
    Portrait of Nicolas Trigault in Chinese CostumePeter Paul Rubens, 1617Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Lucas van Uffel (died 1637), by Anthony van Dyck, ca. 1622
    Lucas van Uffel (died 1637)Anthony van Dyck, ca. 1622Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. A Genoese Lady with Her Child, by Anthony van Dyck, c. 1623–25
    A Genoese Lady with Her ChildAnthony van Dyck, c. 1623–25Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Third room, north wall

  1. The Birth and Naming of John the Baptist, by Juan de Flandes, 1496–99
    The Birth and Naming of John the BaptistJuan de Flandes, 1496–99Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. A work made of photogravure in dark brown retouched with soft varnish (vernis mou), roulette and blue handcoloring on thick cream wove paper.
    Modern MasksFélicien Rops, 1889Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago