Floor plan

Time and place16th-century Netherlands

16th-century Netherlands

A work made of engraving on three joined sheets of laid paper.
A work made of oil on copper.
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.
Ice skaters on the Amstel in Amsterdam, by Hans Bol, 1589
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.
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.
A work made of engraving on ivory laid paper.
A work made of engraving on two joined sheets of ivory laid paper.

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in the Netherlands in the 16th century.

First room, north wall

  1. A work made of engraving on three joined sheets of laid paper.
    The Last SupperJan Harmensz. Muller, 1594Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. A work made of oil on copper.
    David Slaying GoliathDutch, 1600–50Courtesy 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
  4. Ice skaters on the Amstel in Amsterdam, by Hans Bol, 1589
    Ice skaters on the Amstel in AmsterdamHans Bol, 1589Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

First room, south wall

  1. 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
  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
  3. A work made of engraving on ivory laid paper.
    Hercules Slaying the HydraJan Harmensz. Muller, c. 1602Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  4. A work made of engraving on two joined sheets of ivory laid paper.
    Fortune Distributing her GiftsJan Harmensz. Muller, 1590Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Second room, south wall

  1. Fish Market, by Joachim Beuckelaer, 1568
    Fish MarketJoachim Beuckelaer, 1568Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. A work made of pen and brown ink, heightened with lead white (partly discolored), over black chalk, on blue laid paper, laid down on ivory laid paper.
    ApolloJan Harmensz. Muller, c. 1600-1620Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. A work made of engraving on three joined sheets of ivory laid paper.
    Christ at the Feast of SimonJan Saenredam, c. 1590-1600Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Second room, north 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. 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
  3. 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

Third room, north wall

  1. The Power of Women: Samson and Delilah, by Lucas van Leyden, c. 1512
    The Power of Women: Samson and DelilahLucas van Leyden, c. 1512Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. The image shows an elderly man seated from the waist up. He is angled slightly away from the viewer, resting his head on one hand and leaning on the other arm. The man has a deeply lined face, a large beard, curly hair, and appears focused on something outside the frame. He wears flowing garments and a book is under his arm. In the background, there are rugged, mountainous rock formations. Ornate text frames the image at the bottom.
    Saint AndrewHendrick Goltzius, probably 1589Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington